Privacy Policy

1. Absolute De-identification Requirement

The Visual Cardiography Index (VCI) operates under a strict **Zero-PHI Policy**. While our platform provides automated tools to assist in scrubbing DICOM metadata, the final legal responsibility for ensuring no patient identifiers are included lies solely with the contributing physician.

• The "Zero-Leak" Pipeline: Our browser-based de-identification tool strips all 18 HIPAA identifiers (including names, addresses, specific dates, and record numbers) locally. **No PHI ever reaches our servers.**
• Burned-in Redaction: You are strictly required to use our redaction interface to block out any text visible in the images or videos themselves (e.g., ultrasound header information).
• Patient Consent: You should ensure that your institutional policies allow for the sharing of de-identified clinical images for educational purposes.

2. Information We Collect

We collect information to improve the educational value of the index:

• Account Data: Name, professional email, institutional affiliation, and clinical role.
• Usage Metadata: We track which cases are viewed most frequently to optimize our curriculum. This data is aggregated and anonymized.
• Technical Logs: IP addresses and browser fingerprints are logged for 30 days solely for security auditing and to prevent unauthorized site scraping.

3. Data Retention and Deletion

User account data is retained as long as the account is active. You may request account deletion at any time through our Support Board. De-identified clinical cases contribute to a permanent public record and are retained indefinitely to ensure medical education continuity, unless a clinical error or privacy breach is identified.

4. Your Rights under GDPR/HIPAA

As a user, you have the right to:

• Access: Request a copy of all personal data we hold about you.
• Correction: Rectify inaccurate personal or professional information.
• Withdrawal: Withdraw your consent for data processing at any time (this will result in account closure).

5. Cookies and Tracking

VCI uses strictly necessary cookies to maintain your login session. We do not use third-party advertising trackers or sell your behavioral data to medical device or pharmaceutical manufacturers.

By continuing to use the Visual Cardiography Index, you acknowledge that you have read, understood, and expressly agree to the terms of this Privacy Policy.