Privacy Policy
Introduction
This Business Associate Privacy Policy (“Policy”) describes how Qualitative and Quantitative Services AB (QQFS) uses Personal Data relating to the personnel or representatives (“Representatives”) of our clients, suppliers and other entities with whom we have entered, or may enter, business transactions (“Business Associates”). This Policy describes how we may obtain Representatives’ personal data, the types of personal data we may obtain, how we use, share and protect the personal data, the rights of Representatives with respect to their personal data, and how to contact us about our privacy practices.
This Policy does not apply to personal data other than the personal data relating to Representatives. For the Privacy Policy for all other personal data, please see our market research Privacy Policy.
We may revise this Privacy Policy at any time, without notice to you. You are responsible for reviewing it regularly. Your access of the Sites following the posting of changes means you agree to abide by those changes.
This Policy was last revised on March 29, 2022.
About QQFS
QQFS is an international fieldwork agency located in Gothenburg, Sweden. We provide qualitative and quantitative fieldwork to the pharmaceutical and healthcare markets across Europe, with a strong focus on Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Finland, Austria, Switzerland, the Netherlands and Belgium. Beyond these core markets, our experienced staff offer services within other European markets and globally.
QQFS is part of the M3 Group, including M3 Global Research, the leader in global healthcare data collection. With its strong focus on Nordics, Benelux, Austria, Switzerland, and Eastern Europe, the QQFS panel and the organization’s deep knowledge of these countries’ healthcare systems and practices complement M3 Global Research’s current offering across Europe, Asia Pacific, and The Americas.
M3 Global Research operates an ISO 20252 certified market research panel with the highest quality data collection and project management capabilities that cover the spectrum of quantitative and qualitative research techniques utilised today. M3 Global Research is the trading name for the market research activities provided by M3 USA Corporation and its affiliates, including M3 (EU) Ltd.
About The M3 Group
The M3 Group, named to represent Medicine, Media, and Metamorphosis, was founded with the goal of changing the world of medicine through full use of the power of the Internet. The M3 Group operates in the US, Asia, and Europe with over 2 million physician members globally via its physician websites such as: m3.com, mdlinx.com, m3globalresearch.com, m-panels.com, doctors.net.uk, ekas.com.au, networksinhealth.com, medigate.net, medlive.cn
M3 Inc. is a publicly traded company on the Tokyo Stock Exchange (jp:2413) with subsidiaries in major markets including USA, UK, Sweden, Japan, S. Korea, and China. M3 Group provides services to healthcare and the life science industry. In addition to market research, these services include medical education, ethical drug promotion, clinical development, job recruitment, and clinic appointment services. M3 has offices in Tokyo, Fort Washington, PA, Oxford, London, Gothenburg, Chatswood, Bangalore, and Seoul.
The Types of Personal Data We May Obtain and Process
- Names, postal or e-mail addresses, fax numbers, and phone numbers
- Employment information (e.g., job titles) relating to Representatives
- Communication preferences
Purpose and legal basis for processing your personal data
This data is used to manage our contact with you, so that, for example, multiple attempts to contact you regarding the same services are eliminated or you are not re-contacted after informing us you are not interested in our services. We also use it as we generate lists of potential Business Associates to contact.
We process personal data on the basis of our legitimate interest (i.e., we have a valid business reason) and we have carefully balanced your individual rights against this need.
“Legitimate Interests” means the interests of our company in conducting and managing our business to provide you with Activity opportunities and complete Activities on behalf of our clients. For example, we have an interest in making sure our Activity invitations are relevant to you, so we may process your information to send you invitations that are tailored to your specialty. It can also apply to processing that is in your interests as well. For example, we may process your personal data to protect you against fraud when accessing our website, and to ensure our systems are secure. When we process your personal data for our legitimate interests, we make sure to consider and balance any potential impact on you (both positive and negative), and your rights under data protection laws. Our legitimate business interests do not automatically override your interests – we will not use your personal data for activities where our interests are overridden by the impact on you, unless we have your consent or are otherwise required or permitted to do so by law.
We will only process your personal data for the purpose it was first collected. If we process the personal data for a new purpose, we will ensure it is either compatible with your original purpose or gain your consent.
How we use the Personal Data we obtain
We may use the personal data we obtain about Representatives to:
- Manage our existing and prospective Business Associates relationships;
- Communicate with Representatives for marketing, newsletters and company updates (for example, concerning services we offer or intend to offer in connection with our services);
- Perform accounting, auditing, billing, and collection activities;
- Safeguard and defend QQFS interests; and
- Comply with applicable legal requirements, industry standards and our policies.
How we may share Personal Data
- Affiliates of the M3 Group to whom it is reasonably necessary or desirable for QQFS to disclose the personal data;
- Service providers that QQFS has retained to perform services on its behalf, such as, but not limited to, IT service providers. Service providers are not permitted to use the personal data for their own purposes and are prohibited from onward transfer of the personal data without our written consent in each instance;
- Law enforcement and other government authorities if required by law or reasonably necessary to protect the rights, property, and safety of others or ourselves. This includes lawful requests by public authorities, including to meet national security or law enforcement requirements; and
Links to Other Websites
Our website may contain links to other websites. However, once you have used these links to leave our site, you should note that we do not have any control over that other website. Therefore, we cannot be responsible for the protection and privacy of any information which you provide whilst visiting other websites and these other websites are not governed by this privacy policy. You should exercise caution and look at the privacy statement applicable to the website in question.
nternational Data Transfers
Within QQFS:
QQFS endeavours to apply suitable safeguards to protect the privacy and security of your personal data and to use it only in ways that are consistent with your relationship with QQFS and the practices described in this Privacy Policy. Because of the global nature of our business, there may be times when we need to transfer your Personal Data to a country outside of the country you reside.
Standard Contractual Clauses:
For transfers outside of the EEA and UK, M3 and QQFS use EU Standard Contractual Clauses or UK International Data Transfer Agreements to additionally safeguard data from the EEA and UK to countries outside of these locations.
Suppliers and Contractors:
As laid out in this Privacy Policy, we may from time to time share limited information with carefully selected partners. This may involve transferring your personal data to countries outside the EEA or Switzerland and is done within the legal restrictions of the General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR), and with QQFS remaining in contractual control of the data including standard EEA and Swiss data protection clauses.
How we protect Personal Data
We maintain appropriate technical and organisational security safeguards designed to protect Representatives’ personal data against accidental, unlawful or unauthorised destruction, loss, alteration, access, disclosure, or use. We update and test our security technology on an ongoing basis. We limit access to your personal data to those employees who need access to provide benefits or services to you. In addition, we train our employees about the importance of confidentiality and maintaining the privacy and security of your personal data.
How long we retain Personal Data
We store Representatives’ personal data for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes for which we collect the data (see “How We Use the Personal Data We Obtain”), except if required otherwise by law. Your personal data may be kept for 10 years after the working relationship has ceased.
CHANGES AND UPDATES TO THIS POLICY
As our organisation, membership and benefits change from time to time, this Privacy Policy and our Terms of Use is expected to change as well. We reserve the right to amend the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use at any time, for any reason, without notice to you, other than the posting of the amended Privacy Policy and Terms of Use at this Site. We may e-mail periodic reminders of our policy and terms and will e-mail Representatives of material changes to it, but you should check our Site frequently to see the current Privacy Policy and Terms of Use that are in effect and any changes that may have been made to them.
Representatives' Rights
- the purpose of the processing;
- the legal basis for that processing;
- the categories of personal data and the data subject concerned;
- information on the type or identity of third parties to which your data may be disclosed to and the protection provided;
- the source of the personal information (if you didn’t provide it directly to us); and
- how long it will be stored.
- access, rectification, erasure, restriction, objection and data portability regarding your personal data.
How to Contact Us
If you have any comments or enquiries about this Policy or any other matters relating to the protection of your data, please contact our Data Protection Officer: dpo@qqfs.com.
