Terms & Conditions

These Terms and Conditions (the “Terms”) govern the use of the www.columna.org website (the “Site”) operated by COLUMNA SPA. By accessing or using the Site, you accept these Terms in full. If you do not agree, you must leave the Site.

For the medical teleconsultation services, the Teleconsultation Terms also apply, accepted at the time of scheduling your appointment.

1. Provider Identification

2. Definitions

• “The Site”: the website www.columna.org and all its subdomains, content, tools, and associated functionalities.
• “COLUMNA SPA” or “the Provider”: the company operating the Site, RUT 77.375.939-1.
• “User” or “you”: any natural person who accesses the Site, subscribes to the newsletter, or uses any functionality of the Site.
• “Newsletter”: educational bulletin sent by email to subscribed users.
• “Educational content”: articles, guides, infographics, videos, and other informational materials published on the Site.
• “Teleconsultation”: independent medical service provided by COLUMNA SPA through the operating platform, governed by its own Teleconsultation Terms.

3. Purpose of the Site

COLUMNA.ORG is a medical information site specialized in spinal health · content under the editorial direction of Dr. Yoshiro Sato as Medical Director of COLUMNA SPA. The published content is strictly informational and educational and does not constitute individualized medical advice nor does it replace in-person medical consultation or telemedicine.

The Site additionally:

• Allows you to subscribe to a voluntary and free educational newsletter
• Allows you to request an appointment for medical teleconsultation
• Provides information about the professional team, methodology, and available services

4. Use of the Site

4.1 Educational content

• Articles, guides, and tools on the Site are of a general informational nature
• They do not replace in-person medical consultation or professional diagnosis
• Each clinical case is unique and requires individualized medical evaluation
• Content is updated periodically as scientific evidence advances, but the Provider does not guarantee that content reflects the latest available evidence at all times

4.2 Newsletter

• Newsletter subscription is voluntary and free of charge
• You can cancel your subscription at any time through the link in each email or by writing to [email protected]
• We will not share your email with third parties for commercial purposes (see Privacy Policy)
• Consent to receive commercial communications is revocable at any time (Art. 28B Law 19.496)

4.3 Cookies and tracking technologies

Site use implies essential cookies for its operation. Analytics and marketing cookies require your express consent through the Site’s banner. Full detail in the Privacy Policy section 6.

4.4 User Conduct

By using the Site you agree to:

• Provide truthful and accurate information when requested
• Not use the Site for unlawful, fraudulent purposes or that violate third-party rights
• Not attempt unauthorized access to systems, databases, or accounts
• Not employ bots, scrapers, or automated tools to extract content without authorization
• Not reproduce, distribute, modify, or commercialize content without written authorization

5. Professional services (teleconsultation)

The medical teleconsultation services are governed by the Teleconsultation Terms, accepted at the time of scheduling through the operating platform. These Terms are independent and complementary to the present Terms and Conditions.

The teleconsultation service additionally requires acceptance of the operating platform’s Terms and Conditions, which cover the technical and operational aspects of the medical act (video consultation, electronic clinical record, clinical data handling, etc.).

6. Promotional material, testimonials, and representative cases

The Provider may publish testimonials, representative clinical cases, and educational material on the Site and its social media channels. To avoid misleading:

• Real testimonials are obtained with the patient’s express consent, anonymized with the legend “Real testimonial, name modified” where applicable
• Recreated representative cases or those constructed for pedagogical purposes are identified with the legend “Representative case for illustrative purposes. Does not constitute a real testimonial.”
• In both cases, the results shown do not constitute a guarantee of individual outcome and depend on factors specific to each patient

The Provider may use anonymized and aggregated clinical data for service improvement, research, and scientific publications, in accordance with Law 20.120.

7. Intellectual Property

• All Site content (text, images, illustrations, infographics, design, logos, source code) is the exclusive property of COLUMNA SPA or used under valid license
• The COLUMNA.ORG trademark is registered with the Chilean National Institute of Industrial Property (INAPI)
• AI-generated images created for the Site (editorial illustrations, hero images, infographics) are labeled in accordance with the policies in force on the platforms where they are published
• Total or partial reproduction of content without the Provider’s prior written authorization is prohibited
• The User receives a personal, non-transferable, non-exclusive license for individual use of educational content

Requests for content use (academic citations, references on other sites, translations, etc.) are channeled to [email protected].

8. Limitation of Liability

• COLUMNA SPA is not responsible for decisions made by the User based on the Site’s informational content without prior consultation with a trusted medical professional
• The Provider does not guarantee uninterrupted availability of the Site. Maintenance, external provider failures (hosting, DNS), or force majeure events may temporarily affect access
• External links are the responsibility of their respective owners. Including a link does not imply endorsement of the linked content
• The Provider’s total accumulated liability for any claim arising from Site use shall not exceed the direct damages effectively proven by the User, with a cap equivalent to payments made by the User to the Provider in the 12 months prior to the event giving rise to the claim
• Under no circumstances will the Provider be liable for indirect, incidental, consequential, punitive damages, or lost profits
• These limitations do not apply in cases of fraud, gross negligence by the Provider, or in cases where Chilean law prevents such limitation
• Nothing in these Terms limits the medical liability of the Medical Director under applicable health legislation

9. Indemnification

9.1. The User shall hold the Provider harmless from claims arising from: (a) deliberately false information; (b) serious breach of these Terms; (c) unauthorized use of Site content (Clause 7); or (d) unlawful acts by the User affecting the Provider.

9.2. The foregoing is interpreted under Art. 16 of Law 19.496 on consumer rights and does not limit inalienable consumer rights.

10. Force Majeure

Neither party shall be liable for non-compliance caused by events beyond its reasonable control, including:

• Natural disasters, pandemics, civil unrest
• Acts of authority or sudden regulatory changes
• Generalized telecommunications, power, or internet failures
• Interruption of third-party technology platforms (hosting, CDN, email marketing)
• Third-party cyberattacks exceeding reasonable security measures

The affected party must notify the other within a reasonable period from the start of the event and endeavor to mitigate consequences. If the event persists for an extended period, either party may terminate the relationship, without prejudice to obligations accrued until that moment.

11. Confidentiality

• COLUMNA SPA will maintain confidentiality over the User’s personal information and communications, in accordance with the Privacy Policy and Law 19.628
• When the User exchanges bilateral communications with the Provider (email, contact form), the content is treated as confidential unless the law requires its communication to authorities
• Confidentiality obligations survive the termination of the relationship between User and Provider

12. Personal Data Protection

The processing of personal data collected through the Site is governed by the Privacy Policy, drafted in accordance with Law 19.628, Law 21.719 (effective from December 2026), Law 20.584 (patient rights), and Law 20.120.

The User has the ARCO+ rights (Access, Rectification, Cancellation, Objection, Portability, Restriction, and right to no automated decisions) described in the Privacy Policy section 7.

13. Modifications and Validity

13.1. The Provider may modify these Terms to reflect changes in practices, new Site functionalities, or legal modifications. Substantive changes will be notified through:

• Publication on the Site with the new update date
• Prominent notice on the Site with reasonable anticipation
• Email to active subscribers when changes affect their rights

13.2. These Terms enter into force from their publication on the Site and apply from the User’s first use of the Site after the modification.

13.3. Confidentiality, personal data protection, and intellectual property obligations survive beyond the termination of Site use by the User.

14. Dispute Resolution

14.1. Governing law. These Terms are governed by the laws of the Republic of Chile.

14.2. Voluntary prior resolution. The parties may attempt to resolve disputes through direct negotiation or mediation before resorting to courts. This mechanism is voluntary and does not exclude consumer rights.

14.3. Jurisdiction. The Ordinary Courts of Santiago shall have jurisdiction, without prejudice to the User’s right to refer to:

• SERNAC (National Consumer Service) under Law 19.496
• Police Local Courts under Law 18.287
• Superintendence of Health if the dispute relates to a medical act (Law 20.584): www.supersalud.gob.cl · 600 6000 102
• Personal Data Protection Agency when established (Law 21.719, December 2026)

These User rights are independent of each other and of any other legal action available.

15. Contact

Last updated: May 6, 2026