The Bronchiectasis and NTM Association is a unit of the COPD Foundation. The COPD Foundation social platforms are online social networks where members are encouraged to:
Our top priority is to foster an environment of respect and safety, and to cultivate a space in which all of our members feel empowered to share their experiences and support one another in a positive manner. Use of the site represents member consent and agreement with our community guidelines.
The COPD Foundation social platforms are communities for all things COPD, bronchiectasis, and NTM. Share your thoughts, ideas and inspirations, and help others by posting and answering questions. The more you contribute to the community, the more it blossoms and thrives. We want to hear from you!
Please respect all community members and be tolerant of others' viewpoints. The Community does not tolerate bullying or harassment. Members are encouraged to engage in dynamic conversation, but failure to communicate in a respectful manner will result in removal of posts and potential removal of your membership.
COPD Foundation social platforms will be comfortable for all to visit. Please do not post offensive language or upload any offensive material to the site. Offensive posts or materials will be removed from the site, and continued violations may lead to removal of your membership.
The COPD Foundation social platforms provide a platform for individuals to share their thoughts, ideas, and views. Content posted by you represents your viewpoint and is not endorsed and does not represent the official policies or views of the COPD Foundation.
It is not our intention to serve as a substitute for medical advice and any content posted should not be used for medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. We make every effort to support our members; our medical professionals cannot and will not provide a diagnosis or suggest a specific medication; those decisions should be left to your personal medical team. While we encourage individuals to share their personal experiences with COPD, bronchiectasis, and NTM, please consult a physician before making changes to your own lung disease management plan.
Please remember that our social platforms are publicly available online communities and any personal information you post may be viewed by the general public. Only members are allowed to comment on posts. Do not provide your email address, home address (including city, town, or county), phone number, or other identifiable information in your posts. Please do not post any identifiable personal medical information. Providing this information could result in an invasion of your privacy, and as a result your post will be removed.
COPD Foundation social platforms are not designed to report an adverse event or adverse drug reaction. If you experience difficulty with a medication or therapy, please report it immediately to your health care provider. He or she can help you determine if you should report the event to the Federal Drug Administration. Serious events can be reported by visiting: https://www.fda.gov/safety/medwatch-fda-safety-information-and-adverse-event-reporting-program/reporting-serious-problems-fda
One of the purposes of our social platforms is to provide accurate and timely lung health information for our Community. Posts containing inaccurate, unfounded, or possibly dangerous information will be removed. If clarification of the information provided by a member is required, the clarification will be added as a comment to the post by one of the medical professionals who monitor the site. Repeated violations may be subject to removal of your membership.
All posts are monitored by the Community Manager, the COPD Foundation, and Bronchiectasis and NTM Association staff.
The COPD Foundation retains the right to suspend or terminate your membership without prior notice.
You will be required to create a username and password to register for our platforms and become an account holder. Your username and password are required to log in to the site. You are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your password and other account information. The following usernames or email addresses are not permitted and may result in removal of your membership:
Please remember that our social platforms are publicly available online communities and we encourage you to choose a non-identifiable display name. If you choose to use a display name that may identify you, or upload a photo, or likeness of yourself, (for example: as your profile picture), that information may be identified as your data, is indexable by search engines, and is publicly available. Carefully consider whether or not you wish to be identifiable on our site and to the public before posting a photo or likeness of you, choosing a display name that may identify you, and/or posting other information that may identify you. The following display names are not permitted and may result in removal of your membership:
The COPD Foundation social platforms allow members to post photos. Before posting any photos, please be aware:
Private messages are a way for friends on the site to communicate with other friends. If you receive an unsolicited private message from a member you do not know and their message makes you feel uncomfortable, do not reply and please report the member using the “Report User” feature, and also send a message to the Community Manager at bronchandntm360social@bronchandntm.org. Please include the offending member's name and the content of the message.
Examples include:
Contacting members in the community for commercial or charitable purposes is prohibited. Please do not advertise, solicit, recruit, or fundraise on the community forum or to individual members. Sales of goods or items, whether medical or otherwise, are prohibited. The community does not endorse products, therapies, medications, devices, or interventions. Any content considered to be spam will be removed from the website and the user's profile will be deleted.
COPD Foundation approval is required before posting:
Please email the Community Manager at bronchandntm360social@bronchandntm.org and provide complete text of the proposed submission, including a brief description of the proposed study or trial and the contact information for those wishing to obtain additional information.
Commercial enterprises may not register or participate on the site. Individuals employed by a commercial enterprise can register as a member provided the individual does not advertise the products or services their business provides. Violations will result in removal of membership, and they will not be permitted to re-register.
A business, individual or organization will request permission and approval from the COPD Foundation to:
Please email the Community Manager at bronchandntm360social@bronchandntm.org. Violation will result in removal of membership, and they will not be permitted to re-register will not be permitted to re-register.
COPD Foundation social platforms do not allow fundraising by individuals or organizations outside of the Foundation's official fundraising and philanthropy capacity, including asking for participation in fundraising efforts such as GoFundMe. Violations will result in removal of the offending post and in some cases possible removal of membership.
COPD Foundation social platforms are communities for people to come together to support and educate each other in a safe environment. Political or religious commentary can be divisive and is not permitted on our platforms. Please do not post content expressing political views, discussing political parties or candidates, or commenting on past or present officeholders. Similarly, please do not post religious content or engage in religious discussions. While these topics are deeply personal and meaningful to many, this space is focused on connection, support, and lung health. Posts that include political or religious content will be removed. Continued violations may result in removal of membership.