CBT for Tinnitus E-Programme © Conditions of Use
GDPR and Security
From 25 May 2018, the GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) became fully enforceable in EU (and UK) law. By completing your initial TFI (Tinnitus Functional Index) and THI (Tinnitus Handicap Inventory) and/or registering to use the CBT for Tinnitus E-Programme, we must have your explicit consent to keep your information (data) and we must keep your information secure.
"We take all reasonable care to prevent unauthorised access to your personal data in any form - paper or electronic. We do not abuse your trust. Any personal data you provide to us will not be sold, swapped or given away to anyone or any organisation."
If you do not wish to consent to being contacted by the CBT for Tinnitus E-Programme or any person from the CBT for Tinnitus E-Programme, please:
- Do NOT complete and send in any questionnaires. By completing and sending your questionnaire you are agreeing to these Conditions of Use
- Do NOT register/enrol with the CBT for Tinnitus E-Programme. By enrolling on any of the CBT for Tinnitus E-Programme courses, you are agreeing to these Conditions of Use
SSL Certificated Tinnitus E-Programme website - full URL address https://www.tinnituseprogram.org
Whenever you access the Tinnitus E-Programme website - in particular where you are filling in personal information including your name and email address - your information needs to be encrypted. For this reason, since October 2017 the Tinnitus E-Programme website has had its own SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) certificate. The full URL for the Tinnitus E-Programme is https://www.tinnituseprogram.org and for the courses information site is https://courses.tinnituseprogram.org
Important Conditions of Use - PLEASE READ TO THE END
- The CBT (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy) Tinnitus E-Programme content available online is not a substitute for medical advice. On enrolment, you will be asked about what help you have received to date from a GP, Ear Nose & Throat Consultant and/or additional clinical input from an Audiologist, for example. You will be asked to complete a short history when you enrol. You should always seek a medical opinion from your doctor - your doctor is unlikely to have any expertise in tinnitus, but s/he does have expertise in overall health
- All content and the process of the CBT for Tinnitus E-Programme © is solely the intellectual property (IP) of Debbie Featherstone. DO NOT copy, reproduce or distribute any of the CBT for Tinnitus E-Programme content without explicit permission in writing from Debbie Featherstone
All users of the CBT for Tinnitus E-Programme (TEP) are advised of the following:
1. A medical consultation with your own General Practitioner is a minimum essential for a diagnosis of tinnitus and any additional or related health issue. Sometimes, your doctor will recommend referral to an Ear, Nose and Throat or other medical specialist. When this is the case, medical advice should be followed
2. The CBT for Tinnitus E-Programme is available in English only. Users need to have reasonable literacy skills, being able to read, understand and write English. The course:
a) does not and cannot offer individual diagnosis or comment upon any individual's state of health
b) does not claim to be an alternative to any treatment that has been recommended by your own doctor
c) does not replace or supersede any treatment recommended by your own doctor
3. The CBT for Tinnitus E-Programme is not suitable for anyone with a history of serious mental health conditions, particularly psychoses including schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. Specialist help should always be sought via your own doctor and/or mental health specialist
4. The relaxation elements of the CBT for Tinnitus E-Programme may not be suitable for anyone with a history of asthma, heart conditions, narcolepsy or any form of epilepsy or seizures. You must always consult your doctor before undertaking unsupervised relaxation
5. The relaxation elements of the CBT for Tinnitus E-Programme must never be used by anyone under the influence of alcohol or drugs
6. In the rare instance of any worsening of your symptoms, you must always consult your own doctor
7. The relaxation materials have been used by many thousands of people and negative side effects of relaxation are rare; however, we must point out that individuals who undertake the CBT for Tinnitus E-Programme or use any part(s) of the CBT for Tinnitus E-Programme materials do so at their own risk. Neither Debbie Featherstone, nor any other clinicians involved, accept any liability for any unwanted or negative effects attributed by individuals to the use of any of the contents of the CBT for Tinnitus E-Programme
8. Individuals downloading any of the contents made available for the CBT for Tinnitus E-Programme, do so entirely at their own risk
9. Where an individual chooses to follow the CBT Tinnitus E-Programme Facebook page or engage in comments within the course, agreement to all the above conditions is implied
10. When leaving comments in the CBT for Tinnitus E-Programme course, everyone is expected to be respectful towards all other Users. Failure to meet this condition will result in the offending member being removed from the course without warning or redress or reimbursement of course cost
11. Access to the Therapist-Supported CBT for Tinnitus E-Programme is RECOMMENDED based upon very poor adherence to the Tinnitus E-Programme when it was self-directed (2009-2018). The recommendation followed analysis in 2017, comparing self-directed (poor adherence, high attrition (drop out) and low benefit), with therapist-supported (excellent adherence, completion and high benefit). Benefit was and is measured using TFI (Tinnitus Functional Index), THI (Tinnitus Handicap Inventory), GAD-7 (anxiety), PSS (stress) and ASQ (Anxiety/Stress Symptoms) category changes
12. For all enrolments, one-to-one appointments included in the purchased package must be used within one year of enrolment. The average User completes the CBT for Tinnitus E-Programme in 6-8 months
13. Course content is reviewed and updated on a regular basis
14. When full capacity for the CBT for Tinnitus E-Programme (TEP) is reached, enrolment will close temporarily; during these times, there will be an option to join the waiting list
CBT for Tinnitus E-Programme