1. Introduction

Physician Signal ("we," "us," or "our") is committed to protecting the privacy and anonymity of our users. This Privacy Policy describes how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you visit and use our platform. By using Physician Signal, you consent to the data practices described in this policy.

2. Information We Collect

Account Information

When you create an account, we collect:

• Email address (used for login and account recovery)
• Professional role (e.g., Medical Device Rep, OR Nurse, Hospital Administrator)
• Years of experience in healthcare
• General work region

Review Content

When you submit a review, we collect the review text, numerical ratings, and metadata such as the date of submission. Reviews are permanently disassociated from your personal identity upon submission.

Automatically Collected Information

We may automatically collect certain information when you visit the Platform, including:

• IP address (anonymized for analytics)
• Browser type and version
• Device type and operating system
• Pages visited and time spent on the Platform
• Referring website or link

3. The Ghost Identity System

Physician Signal uses a proprietary "Ghost Identity" system designed to protect reviewer anonymity. Here is how it works:

• Your professional credentials are verified during registration (e.g., via LinkedIn or professional verification).
• Once verified, all personally identifiable information is discarded. Only your verified professional role is retained.
• Reviews are displayed with only your role title (e.g., "Verified OR Nurse") — never your name, email, employer, or any other identifying information.
• We use one-way cryptographic hashes to prevent duplicate reviews without storing your identity linked to specific reviews.

4. How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect to:

• Provide, operate, and maintain the Platform
• Verify your professional credentials
• Display anonymized reviews and aggregate Insight Scores
• Communicate with you about your account (e.g., password resets, security alerts)
• Improve the Platform through analytics and usage patterns
• Detect, prevent, and address fraud, abuse, or technical issues
• Comply with legal obligations

5. Cookies & Tracking Technologies

We use cookies and similar tracking technologies to enhance your experience on the Platform. These include:

• Essential cookies: Required for the Platform to function (e.g., authentication tokens, session management).
• Analytics cookies: Help us understand how users interact with the Platform (e.g., Google Analytics). These cookies collect anonymized usage data.
• Preference cookies: Remember your settings and preferences (e.g., dismissed banners).

You can control cookies through your browser settings. Disabling essential cookies may affect the functionality of the Platform.

6. Third-Party Services

We may share limited, non-identifying information with trusted third-party services that help us operate the Platform:

• Analytics providers (e.g., Google Analytics) — anonymized usage data only.
• Hosting and infrastructure providers — for Platform operation and security.
• Email service providers — for transactional emails (account verification, password resets).

We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information to any third party for marketing purposes.

7. Data Retention

We retain your account information for as long as your account is active or as needed to provide you services. If you delete your account:

• Your email and account data are permanently deleted within 30 days.
• Previously submitted reviews remain on the Platform in their anonymized form (with no link to your account).
• Aggregated and anonymized data may be retained indefinitely for analytics and Platform improvement.

8. Your Rights

Depending on your location, you may have certain rights regarding your personal information:

• Access: Request a copy of the personal information we hold about you.
• Correction: Request correction of inaccurate personal information.
• Deletion: Request deletion of your account and personal data.
• Portability: Request your data in a portable format.
• Objection: Object to certain types of data processing.

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us at the email address below. We will respond to your request within 30 days.

9. HIPAA Disclaimer

Physician Signal is not a covered entity under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) and does not collect, store, or process protected health information (PHI). Users are strictly prohibited from including any patient-identifiable information in reviews or any other content on the Platform. We actively monitor for and remove any content that may contain PHI.

10. Children's Privacy

The Platform is not intended for individuals under the age of 18. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If we become aware that we have collected personal information from a child under 18, we will take steps to delete that information promptly.

11. Security

We implement appropriate technical and organizational security measures to protect your personal information, including encryption, secure authentication, and access controls. However, no method of electronic transmission or storage is 100% secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.

12. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of material changes by posting a notice on the Platform or by sending you an email. Your continued use of the Platform after any changes constitutes acceptance of the updated Privacy Policy.

13. Contact Us

If you have any questions or concerns about this Privacy Policy or our data practices, please contact us at:

privacy@physiciansignal.com