1. Introduction and scope

Welcome to The Operating Room Global (TORG). These Terms of Use (“Terms”) govern your access to and use of operatingroomissues.org, its publicly accessible pages, forms, resources, community features and services offered through this website (“Website”). “TORG”, “we”, “our” and “us” refer to The Operating Room Global in connection with this Website. “You” refers to visitors, members, applicants, contributors and other users.

TORG supports global professional education, research, collaboration, innovation and surgical-system development. Distinct programmes or platforms may be administered by affiliated or collaborating organisations under their own notices and terms; this page does not replace those documents or make all such organisations a single legal entity.

2. Acceptance and eligibility

By using this Website, you agree to comply with these Terms and applicable law. If you do not agree, please discontinue use. Where a service requires registration, eligibility may depend on the published criteria for that service, including age, professional status, membership or institutional affiliation. If you are under 18, do not register for a restricted service without appropriate authorisation and confirmation that the service permits it.

3. Accounts, membership and credentials

Where registration is required, you must provide accurate, current information and maintain the confidentiality of your credentials. You are responsible for activity conducted through your account, subject to applicable law, and should promptly report suspected unauthorised access.

TORG membership, membership identifiers and certificates are personal to the registered holder and must not be transferred, sold, altered or misrepresented. A membership or programme certificate confirms only the status or activity expressly described on it; it does not itself confer professional registration, clinical privileges, academic degrees, institutional accreditation or employment eligibility.

Membership benefits, access conditions and any fees are governed by the membership category and terms communicated at the point of registration. Community membership does not, by itself, confer governance or voting rights in any incorporated entity.

4. Acceptable use

You agree not to use the Website to:

• Break applicable law or infringe the rights, privacy or intellectual property of others.
• Post defamatory, threatening, discriminatory, abusive, misleading or otherwise unlawful material.
• Submit confidential patient information or identifiable clinical records without appropriate legal authority, ethics approval where required and a secure, approved submission route.
• Impersonate another person, misstate qualifications or affiliations, or falsify application, research or certificate information.
• Transmit malware, attempt unauthorised access, interfere with security or disrupt Website operations.
• Harvest personal data, send unsolicited promotions, or undertake automated scraping that breaches applicable law or reasonable technical restrictions.
• Present TORG’s name, logo, endorsements, partnership status or materials in a misleading way.

We may investigate reported misuse and take proportionate action, including removal of content or restriction of access.

5. Educational and clinical information

Website content, including articles, webinars, recordings, clinical discussions, manuals and learning materials, is provided for general educational, research and professional information purposes. It is not a substitute for individual clinical assessment, qualified professional judgement, institutional policies, local regulations or emergency care.

Clinical practices, devices, medicines, standards and recommendations may change. Users are responsible for independently verifying information against current authoritative guidance and applying it within their professional scope and local context. Views expressed by guest speakers, authors or contributors are their own unless explicitly adopted as an official TORG position.

6. Fellowships, training, observerships and applications

Calls for fellowships, mentorships, training, observerships, conferences, volunteer positions and similar opportunities are subject to their published eligibility criteria, selection processes, capacity, deadlines, programme handbooks and separate agreements. Submitting an application does not guarantee selection, placement, supervision, a certificate, funding, licensing, travel permission or employment.

Applicants must provide truthful information and comply with requested verification, ethics, safeguarding and professional requirements. Where a programme is delivered with a hospital, university or other partner, that institution may apply its own admission, credentialing, clinical-access and conduct rules. Timetables, mentors, placements and programme components may change for legitimate operational reasons, with reasonable notice where practicable.

7. Fees, participant contributions, invoicing and refunds

Some activities or services may involve fees or contributions. Any applicable amount, currency, payment deadline, tax treatment and cancellation or refund conditions should be stated on the relevant registration page, invoice, programme handbook or agreement before payment.

Where fee categories apply, the category and amount may be verified before an invoice is issued. Do not treat an automated acknowledgement or provisional offer as confirmation of final admission or payment classification. Payments should be made only through payment instructions issued by an authorised TORG or programme representative.

Refunds, withdrawals and transfers: The specific terms supplied for the transaction govern, subject always to mandatory consumer rights and applicable law. No single refund policy applies to every activity or transaction. Contact the relevant programme secretariat promptly if you believe an invoice or charge is incorrect.

8. Research activities and ethics

Participation in research collaborations, surveys, audits, fellowships or projects may require a separate protocol, research agreement, informed-consent process, ethics determination or approval, data-sharing arrangement and institutional authorisation. General Website use or TORG membership does not constitute research consent or ethics approval.

TORG-IRB processes are governed by their specific submission requirements and decisions. IRB registration does not automatically mean every project or institution is approved, nor does it replace local legal or institutional permissions. Research data must be handled in accordance with applicable law, approved protocols and the relevant data-governance documents.

9. Intellectual property, resources and publications

Unless otherwise indicated, the Website’s original text, design, branding, graphics and other materials are owned by TORG or used with permission and protected by applicable intellectual-property laws. You may view and make reasonable personal, non-commercial use of publicly available material, with proper attribution and subject to any stated licence. You must not sell, misrepresent, republish substantial content, or use TORG logos or marks to imply endorsement without permission.

Some resources, journal articles and third-party materials carry separate licences, including open-access or Creative Commons licences. The licence displayed with each individual work controls reuse of that work. Open-access publication does not automatically make every Website asset freely reusable. Authors, reviewers and editors must also follow the applicable TORGJ editorial, publication, authorship, peer-review and research-integrity policies on torgjournal.org.

10. Comments, submissions and community contributions

Where the Website allows comments, uploads, submissions or community contributions, you remain responsible for their legality, accuracy and the permissions needed to share them. You retain ownership of material you own. By submitting content for public display, you grant TORG a non-exclusive, royalty-free licence to host, reproduce, format and display it for the purpose for which it was submitted, subject to any separate written agreement or specific submission terms.

Do not post another person’s confidential or sensitive information without appropriate authority. We may moderate or remove material that breaches these Terms or applicable law. Publication of a contribution does not imply TORG endorsement.

11. Webinars, events, images and recordings

TORG events may include live broadcasts, photography, audio/video recordings and subsequent educational replays. Event notices, registration forms and consent arrangements should explain relevant recording practices. Where recording or publication requires consent or another lawful basis, the relevant arrangements apply; attendance alone should not be treated as blanket consent to every future use of identifiable images or contributions.

Participants must respect speaker copyright, confidentiality, event conduct rules and restrictions on recording or redistribution. Certificates, CPD recognition and attendance verification are issued only where the event’s published requirements are met. Separate terms may apply to events promoted through torgevents.org.

12. Third-party websites, tools and partnerships

The Website may link to external websites, social networks, video platforms, payment services, partner institutions, research platforms and other services. External operators control their own terms, privacy practices and availability. A link, acknowledgement or collaboration does not necessarily imply TORG’s endorsement of every statement, product or service offered by that third party.

Any use of a third-party platform is also subject to its applicable terms. Links to TORG pages are welcome when lawful, accurate and non-deceptive, provided they do not imply an unapproved affiliation or use protected branding without permission. We may request removal of misleading links.

13. Privacy, personal data and cookies

Personal information is handled in accordance with our Privacy Policy and applicable data-protection law. The Privacy Policy explains relevant processing, rights and contact routes. Non-essential cookies or tracking technologies must be managed according to applicable consent requirements; continued browsing alone does not constitute consent where affirmative consent is legally required.

14. Website availability and changes

We aim to maintain accurate, useful and accessible information, but cannot guarantee uninterrupted availability, error-free operation or that all content remains current. We may correct inaccuracies, change features, remove outdated materials or suspend parts of the Website for security, maintenance or operational reasons. Material changes to programmes, fees or contractual commitments will be handled under their applicable terms and law.

15. Disclaimers and limitation of liability

To the extent permitted by applicable law, Website content and services are supplied on an “as available” basis without a guarantee of uninterrupted access or suitability for every individual purpose. TORG is not responsible for losses arising solely from reliance on unverified general educational information or from third-party services outside its reasonable control.

Nothing in these Terms excludes or restricts liability that cannot lawfully be excluded, including liability for fraud, or death or personal injury caused by negligence where applicable, or any mandatory statutory or consumer rights. Any liability limitation is subject to applicable law and the circumstances of the claim.

16. Suspension, removal and termination

We may suspend access, remove content or terminate an account where reasonably necessary to address fraud, serious misconduct, security threats, material breaches of these Terms or legal obligations. Where appropriate and lawful, we may provide notice and an opportunity to respond. You may request account closure subject to legitimate retention obligations and any outstanding contractual commitments.

17. Applicable law and dispute resolution

These Terms are interpreted in accordance with the law applicable to the relevant Website operator and the specific service or transaction, without depriving users of mandatory protections that apply in their place of residence. Separate agreements with service providers or institutional partners may specify applicable governing law and dispute procedures. Nothing here requires a user to waive rights that cannot lawfully be waived.

If a concern arises, please contact us first so that we can attempt to resolve it promptly and fairly.

18. Contact, revisions and last updated

For questions about these Terms, reports of misuse, permissions or requests concerning Website content, contact info@operatingroomissues.org or use our contact page. For personal-data matters, consult the contact details in our Privacy Policy.

We may update these Terms to reflect changes in our activities, Website operations or applicable requirements. Material changes will be posted here and, where appropriate, communicated through additional channels. Your continued use after an updated version takes effect constitutes acceptance to the extent permitted by law; separate contractual changes may require further notice or agreement.