Privacy Policy for Get Vitals App

1. What We Collect

1.1 Personal Information

We may collect:

• Email address and account credentials
• Name (optional)
• Professional information (e.g., nursing specialty, years of experience) - optional
• Payment information (processed by Apple App Store or Google Play Store, not stored by us)

1.2 Emotional and Wellness Data

We collect the following types of data when you use the app:

• Emotional check-ins (e.g. mood ratings, stress levels)
• Burnout self-assessments measuring Emotional Exhaustion, Depersonalization, and Personal Accomplishment
• Session activity (e.g. which meditations, resets, or shift recovery sessions are used and how often)
• AI chat interactions with the Shift Debrief feature
• Optional feedback (written or voice memos)

1.3 User-Generated Content

We collect content you choose to share:

• Nurse stories and experiences
• Advice and tips shared with the community
• Comments and feedback on app features

1.4 Technical Data

• Device information (e.g. app version, operating system, device type)
• Crash reports and technical diagnostics
• Usage analytics (e.g. features accessed, time spent in app)

We do not collect:

• Medical diagnoses
• Social Security numbers
• Health insurance data
• Patient names or identifiable patient information
• Specific hospital or facility identifiers (unless voluntarily provided)

2. Shift Debrief

When you engage with this in-app resource, certain interaction data may be captured and securely stored for the following purposes:

• To improve the quality of emotional support
• To detect patterns in emotional well-being (e.g. increased anxiety after shifts)
• To personalize support tools and content
• To help push the goals of the Get Vitals Foundation to help solve burnout in healthcare

Key Points:

• We limit what we collect and separate conversation content from account identifiers where feasible
• No personal health information (PHI) is required or collected during chats
• No individual conversations are reviewed by people; analyses are performed only at an aggregate level to identify trends related to burnout
• You can disable data collection and “Usage Trends” at any time in Settings

We treat all AI interaction data with the same safeguards used for the rest of your emotional health data.

3. Purpose of Data Collection

We use your data to:

• Help you track your emotional state and burnout risk
• Provide relevant support tools (e.g. meditations, advice)
• Improve the app experience and functionality

4. Voluntary Participation

Use of the app and participation in all assessments and AI features is 100% voluntary. You may opt out at any time and delete your data upon request via our Data Deletion page.

5. Data Sharing

We do not sell or share your personal information with third parties.

However, we may share anonymized and aggregated data as described in Section 7 below for research purposes and to advance the field of burnout prevention in healthcare.

6. Burnout Assessment Data and Research

6.1 Assessment Data Collection

When you complete burnout assessments in the app, we collect your responses measuring:

• Emotional Exhaustion: Feelings of being emotionally drained and depleted
• Depersonalization: Feelings of detachment or cynicism toward work
• Personal Accomplishment: Sense of competence and achievement

Important: These assessments are self-report tools for personal awareness and are not medical diagnoses. See our Terms of Service for full disclaimers about assessment limitations.

6.2 Research Use of Assessment Data

By completing burnout assessments, you agree that your data may be used for research purposes, including:

• Studying patterns and trends in healthcare worker burnout
• Developing better interventions and support tools
• Contributing to academic research and publications about burnout prevention
• Advancing the field of mental health support for nurses and healthcare professionals worldwide

All research use of your data is conducted in accordance with this Privacy Policy and maintains your privacy through anonymization and aggregation as described below.

6.3 Your Individual Privacy

Your individual assessment scores and personal information remain private and confidential. We do not share your specific scores or identity with anyone.

7. Anonymization and Aggregated Data

7.1 How We Anonymize Data

Before using your data for research, statistics, or comparisons, we remove all personally identifiable information, including:

• Your name and email address
• Account identifiers that could link back to you
• Specific dates and times that could identify you
• Any other information that could reasonably identify you as an individual

7.2 Uses of Anonymized and Aggregated Data

We may use your anonymized data in the following ways:

• Statistical Analysis: Creating aggregate statistics about burnout levels, app usage patterns, and wellness trends
• Promotional Materials: Sharing anonymized statistics in marketing materials, presentations, and on our website (e.g., "85% of nurses report feeling less stressed after using Get Vitals")
• Comparative Benchmarks: Creating anonymous comparisons to help users understand their burnout levels relative to others (e.g., "How do ER nurses compare to ICU nurses?" or "How do your scores compare to other nurses in your specialty?")
• Research Publications: Contributing to academic research papers and studies about healthcare worker burnout
• Product Improvement: Understanding usage patterns to improve app features and content

No individual user can be identified from anonymized and aggregated data. All statistics represent groups of users, never individuals.

8. User-Generated Content

8.1 Your Responsibility When Sharing

CRITICAL: When sharing nurse stories, advice, or experiences, you must NEVER include:

• Patient names, initials, room numbers, medical record numbers, or any patient identifiers
• Protected Health Information (PHI) as defined by HIPAA
• Names or identifying information about other healthcare workers
• Specific hospital names, unit names, or facility details that could identify individuals
• Any information that violates HIPAA or patient confidentiality

See our Terms of Service for complete requirements about user-generated content and your legal responsibilities.

8.2 Content Moderation

While we make reasonable efforts to moderate user-generated content:

• We cannot guarantee all content is reviewed before it appears
• We may remove content that appears to violate privacy or HIPAA regulations
• We encourage users to report inappropriate content immediately
• You remain solely responsible for the content you share and any consequences

8.3 How We Use Your Shared Content

When you share stories, advice, or other content in the app:

• Your content may be visible to other app users
• We may use your content (with attribution or anonymously) for promotional or educational purposes
• We may analyze content to understand common themes and improve support resources
• You retain ownership of your content but grant us a license to use it as described in our Terms of Service

9. Data Security

We take the security of your data seriously and implement industry-standard measures to protect it:

• Encryption: Data is encrypted in transit and at rest
• Access Controls: Limited access to personal data, restricted to authorized personnel only
• Secure Storage: Data is stored on secure cloud servers with robust security measures
• Regular Security Audits: We regularly review and update our security practices
• Separation of Data: We separate conversation content from account identifiers where feasible

However, no method of electronic storage or transmission is 100% secure. While we strive to protect your data, we cannot guarantee absolute security.

10. Data Retention

We retain your data for as long as necessary to provide our services and fulfill the purposes described in this Privacy Policy:

• Active Accounts: We retain your personal data while your account is active
• Deleted Accounts: When you delete your account, we delete your personal information within 90 days
• Anonymized Data: Data that has been fully anonymized may be retained indefinitely for research purposes
• Legal Requirements: We may retain certain data longer if required by law or for legitimate business purposes

You can request deletion of your data at any time via our Data Deletion page.

11. Your Rights and Choices

11.1 Access and Control

You have the right to:

• Access Your Data: Request a copy of the personal data we hold about you
• Update Your Data: Correct or update your account information at any time in app settings
• Delete Your Data: Request complete deletion of your account and personal data via our Data Deletion page
• Export Your Data: Request a copy of your data in a portable format
• Withdraw Consent: Withdraw from the app and stop data collection at any time

11.2 Opt-Out Options

You can control how your data is used:

• Usage Trends: Disable data collection for research and analytics by turning off "Usage Trends" in app settings
• AI Features: Choose not to use Shift Debrief or other AI features if you don't want that data collected
• Content Sharing: Choose not to share stories or advice in the community features
• Assessments: Participation in burnout assessments is completely voluntary

Note: Opting out of certain data collection may limit some app functionality, but your core access to wellness tools remains available.

11.3 How to Exercise Your Rights

To exercise any of these rights, you can:

• Use in-app settings to manage your preferences
• Visit our Data Deletion page to request account deletion
• Contact us via our Support Contact page with your request

We will respond to your request within 30 days.

12. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or legal requirements. When we make changes:

• We will update the "Last Updated" date at the top of this page
• We will notify you of material changes via email or in-app notification
• Your continued use of the app after changes constitutes acceptance of the updated policy

13. Contact Us

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy or how we handle your data, please contact us via our Support Contact page.