Persistent Cookies and the American Customer Satisfaction Index

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has a permit from the DHHS allowing NIH sites using the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI) to continue using persistent or “blocking” cookies.

The survey will be delivered randomly to visitors as a pop up questionnaire. Answers to the survey will enable NIH designers to improve our sites making them easier to use and more responsive to the needs of our visitors.

Cookies will:

  • Block the repeated delivery of the survey either in the current visit or in any subsequent visit
  • Record only that the visitor had the opportunity to answer the survey questions
  • Expire 30–90 days after being set
  • Reduce the burden on visitors to the site by avoiding repeated delivery of the pop-up survey

Cookies will not:

  • Collect any information about the visitors
  • Track the Web surfing activities of visitors
  • Indicate whether a visitor answered any questions
  • Link a particular visitor to any response or set of responses.

The authority for this record collection is provided by 42 U.S.C. 203, 241, 2891-1 and 42 U.S.C. 3101, and Section 301 of the Public Health Act.

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This page last reviewed on March 17, 2016