ENT Connect encourages respectful discussion focused on patient care, education, and knowledge sharing for otolaryngologist-head and neck surgeons. By participating in this community, you agree that you have read and will follow these rules and guidelines. You also agree to focus on discussions best suited to this forum. This is a great medium with which to solicit the advice of your peers, benefit from their experience, and participate in ongoing conversations.
Please take a moment to acquaint yourself with these important guidelines. If you have questions, please contact member services at memberservices@entnet.org or call at (703) 836-4444.
Posts that violate the ENT Connect Rules & Etiquette will be removed and may also result in the entire discussion thread being deleted and violators being temporarily or permanently suspended. For the benefit of everyone and to ensure ENT Connect remains a valuable outlet for all members, we uphold these principles as even-handedly as possible for all posts. Final authority rests with the EVP/CEO, who has the right to remove any post.
Open Forum is a fully moderated forum, which means posts go into a queue to be reviewed by the Administrator (Academy staff) prior to posting. Staff review posts in the queue during normal business hours. Posts made after hours, over the weekend, or on holidays, will be reviewed the next business day.
The Rules & Etiquette have been approved by the American Academy of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery (AAO-HNS) Board of Directors.
THE RULES
Be Respectful — Discussions and comments are meant to stimulate constructive conversations not create contention. Feel free to disagree with others but be respectful of their opinions. Respond to the subject and not to the person. Insults, threats, or personal attacks will not be tolerated. Avoid sarcastic, inflammatory, divisive, off-topic, or partisan/political commentary. All offensive, profane, vulgar, threatening, abusive, sexist, racist, other discriminatory, or derogatory comments or images are strictly prohibited. For guidance, please see the AAO-HNS Statement on Diversity.
No Posts about Fees, Etc. — Do not discuss your fees, charges, amounts you are reimbursed by third party payers, salaries you pay your physicians and other employees, prices for medical equipment or services, or any other similar fee or price-related practice matters. You should also avoid discussions that could be interpreted as planning or facilitating joint responses to or group boycotts of particular payers or companies that sell products or services to you or your colleagues. Such discussions may violate federal or state antitrust laws Please review the AAO-HNS's Antitrust Compliance Statement.
Keep It Here —Do not forward messages outside the community. We want to encourage this site as a safe place to discuss relevant topics professionally without fear of reaching the social media circuit. This can lead to misinterpretation of specific posts, particularly if contextual backgrounds are not included subsequently leading to consequences for the poster and/or the organization. Violations of this rule may be deemed a failure to maintain good professional standing, which is in direct conflict with the AAO-HNS Code of Ethics and may result in the implementation of the AAO-HNS disciplinary proceedings.
Think Before You Post — ENT Connect is a private community with member only access. However, do not post anything you would not want the world to see. You are responsible for anything posted under your name.
No Spam — Spamming is not allowed. This includes using the forum email and private message (PM) system to spam other members. If you receive PM spam, please email it to communications@entnet.org.
Advertising/Marketing— Do not advertise or promote any products, services, or events not affiliated with or officially sponsored by the AAO-HNS/F. This includes sale of practice or equipment, employment opportunities, referrals, and invites to join other message boards or communities, or any promotion to a website with intent to siphon traffic or make a profit. AAO-HNS/F offers advertising opportunities through other mediums and shares non-AAO-HNS/F event listings on a global calendar. To request a calendar entry, email calendar@entnet.org.
Follow HIPAA — All posts must be HIPAA compliant.
No Campaigning — This is inclusive of AAO-HNS elections; neither AAO-HNS candidates nor those supporting candidates can use this forum for campaign purposes.
Surveys — ENT Connect cannot be used to conduct surveys of the AAO-HNS membership. Please use the AAO-HNS Survey Request Form to request a survey.
No Posting of Copyrighted Material — Do not post any materials or photos that have copyright protection or otherwise violate the rights of third parties without permission from the copyright holder. You may include links to such materials on other websites, as long as the materials are properly/legally posted on those websites. When in doubt, do not post or contact communications@entnet.org before posting. Unless it is explicitly noted that something is available for reuse without permissions, it is protected by copyright. This includes journal abstracts.
DISCUSSION GROUP ETIQUETTE
Stay on Topic — To ensure the maximum benefit for all involved, only post information relevant to a group's forum. Keep subject titles as concise as possible to help aid fellow members' search.
Be Honest — Do not use the discussion boards to misrepresent yourself.
Keep It Useful — Use a meaningful title for your discussion posts to help other members. Do not post empty responses. Only post responses when you have something to contribute. If you want to thank someone, please use the “Reply to Sender” link.
THE LEGAL STUFF
This site is provided as a service for the members of the AAO-HNS/F. Except when specifically noted, any views or opinions expressed on the ENT Connect forums or member-contributed resources, are those of the individual contributors. The views and posted comments do not necessarily reflect those of the AAO-HNS/F. AAO-HNS/F aims to provide quality and accurate information, but we make no claims, promises, or guarantees about the accuracy of the information contained in or linked to on the Community site.
Considering the real-time nature of the discussion forums, it is impossible for us to review messages or confirm the validity of information posted before they appear on the forums. AAO-HNS/F does not vouch for or warrant the accuracy or usefulness of any message and is not responsible for the contents of any message. We cannot ensure prompt removal of offending posts.
In order to preserve a climate that encourages both civil and fruitful dialogue, we reserve the right to delete posts and suspend or terminate participation in this community for anyone who violates these rules.
AAO-HNS/F specifically disclaims any and all liability for any claims or damages that result from postings by participants. Although the forums may include links providing direct access to other websites, AAO-HNS/F has not participated in the development of these other sites and does not exert any editorial, or other, control over them. Any hyperlinks and any reference to any products, services, or other information by trade name, trademark, supplier, or otherwise does not necessarily constitute or imply its endorsement, sponsorship, or recommendation by AAO-HNS/F. AAO-HNS/F expressly disclaims liability related to the accuracy and content of other sites and use of any products or services referenced in any posting or any linked site.
Participants who post materials on this site (including but not limited to papers, presentations, images, and videos, etc.) shall retain their rights to such materials with the understanding that the materials are being posted for educational purposes and may be reproduced, retransmitted, or reprinted for other participants’ own personal use. As noted above, participants should refrain from posting such materials unless they own the copyright or have authority or permission from the copyright holder to do so. Such posting participants shall be wholly responsible for and shall hold AAO-HNS/F harmless from the inappropriate use of copyrighted material they post on this site.
AAO-HNS/F owns all right, title, and interest in any and all materials posted on this site that have been created by AAO-HNS/F and are subject to copyrights owned by AAO-HNS/F unless indicated otherwise. AAO-HNS/F hereby provides limited permission for users of this site to reproduce, re-transmit, or reprint, for such user's personal use only, part or all of any document on this site. All other reproduction, re-transmission, or reprinting of all or part of any document found on this site is expressly prohibited, unless AAO-HNS/F has expressly granted its prior consent to so reproduce, re-transmit, or reprint the material. All other rights are reserved.
Medical information published here by AAO-HNS/F or by any participant is not intended to replace consultation with a qualified healthcare provider. Please consult an appropriate healthcare provider for such guidance. AAO-HNS/F does not answer specific medical questions or refer persons to specific healthcare providers.
Postings on ENT Connect will not be disclosed to third-parties by the Administrators without the express written content of the member.
If you see what you believe is a violation of these rules in any of the ENT Connect forums, please notify Academy staff immediately by emailing communications@entnet.org.
Updated Rules & Etiquette approved by AAO-HNS Executive Committee March 2022.