Data Policy

Last updated: March 2026

1. Our Mission

PatternMD exists to help people anonymously share health symptoms and discover community patterns. A core part of our mission is making this anonymized data available to medical researchers and institutions so that real health insights can be discovered and used to benefit public health. This Data Policy explains exactly how we handle, use, and share your data.

2. What Data We Collect

We collect the following categories of data: authentication data (your email address, used only for login), anonymous profile data (age range, biological sex, country, ZIP code, smoking status, drinking status, activity level, diet type, chronic conditions, medications, and allergies), and community data (symptom posts, trigger notes, and ME TOO interactions). We do not collect your name, photo, device location, or any biometric data.

3. How Your Data Is Anonymized

Upon registration you are assigned a permanent anonymous ID in the format PMD-XXXXXXXX. All research data and institutional reporting uses only this anonymous ID — never your email address or any personally identifiable information. Your email address is stored separately and is never included in any data exports, research datasets, or institutional reports.

4. Data We May Sell or Share

By using PatternMD you explicitly agree that we may sell or share the following anonymized data with medical institutions, universities, healthcare organizations, pharmaceutical companies, and research bodies: anonymous symptom posts and trigger notes, anonymous profile data including age range, biological sex, country, ZIP code, lifestyle factors, and medical background, aggregated pattern data showing common symptom and trigger combinations, and ME TOO interaction data showing how many users share the same symptoms and triggers. All data sold or shared is fully anonymized and cannot be traced back to any individual user.

5. Data We Will Never Sell or Share

We will never sell, share, rent, or disclose your email address to any third party under any circumstances. We will never share data in a form that could identify you as an individual. We will never share data with advertisers or marketing companies. We will never share data with employers, insurance companies, or government agencies except as required by law.

6. How Institutions Use This Data

Medical institutions and researchers who receive PatternMD data use it to identify patterns between symptoms and potential triggers across large anonymous populations, develop hypotheses for clinical research, understand how lifestyle factors correlate with reported symptoms, and contribute to public health knowledge. No institution receiving our data is permitted to attempt to re-identify any individual user.

7. Your Consent

By creating an account and completing the onboarding process on PatternMD you explicitly consent to the collection, storage, and use of your anonymized data as described in this Data Policy. This consent is required to use the platform. If you do not agree to this Data Policy you should not use PatternMD.

8. Your Rights

You have the right to request a copy of your data at any time by contacting us at data@patternmd.com. You have the right to request deletion of your account and all associated data. Upon deletion your email and profile will be permanently removed within 30 days. Note that anonymized data that has already been included in research datasets or sold to institutions cannot be retrieved or deleted as it is no longer linked to your identity.

9. Data Storage & Security

All data is stored securely using Supabase, a GDPR-compliant database platform with industry-standard encryption. Access to raw user data is strictly limited to authorized PatternMD personnel. All database connections are encrypted. Row-level security ensures users can only access their own personal data.

10. GDPR & CCPA Compliance

PatternMD is committed to compliance with applicable data protection laws including the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) for European users and the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) for California residents. If you are located in the EU or California and have questions about your specific rights, please contact us at data@patternmd.com.

11. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Data Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or applicable law. We will notify you of material changes by posting a notice on the platform at least 30 days before the changes take effect. Continued use of PatternMD after changes take effect constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.

12. Contact

For any questions, requests, or concerns about this Data Policy or how your data is used, please contact us at data@patternmd.com.