The short version
- This is optional. It is off unless you turn it on.
- If you say yes, we keep a copy of your checks with your name, contact details and exact dates taken out.
- We use these copies to see how often Ion is right and to make it safer.
- We never sell them and never use them for advertising.
- Saying no changes nothing about your care or what you can do on Ionyx.
- You can turn it off at any time.
1. What we are asking
We want to make Ion more accurate and safer. To do that, we need to compare what Ion suggested with what really happened. We ask your permission to keep de-identified copies of your checks for this.
This is optional and off by default. We only do it if you tick the box.
2. What a de-identified copy contains
For each finished check, the copy contains:
- the month of the check, not the exact date
- an age range, such as 30 to 44, not your date of birth
- sex
- whether the check was for you, a child or another adult
- the body areas and the questions and answers, with names, email addresses, phone numbers, dates and long numbers taken out
- the care level and possible causes Ion suggested
- what happened next, if you told us: where you were seen, what you were told and whether you stayed in hospital
- how you said you felt at a follow-up
- whether a provider who saw you thought Ion's care level and causes were right
The copy does not contain your name, your contact details, your exact dates or a link to your account.
3. What de-identified means here
We remove the details that point to you. But your answers are in your own words. We may not catch every detail. A rare illness on a small island might still point to someone.
So we also:
- keep the copies inside Ionyx, where only the Ionyx team can see them
- have a person read the free text before any of it is used outside Ionyx
- only ever share totals and patterns outside Ionyx, never single records
- never try to work out who a record belongs to
4. How we use the copies
- To measure how often Ion's care level matches what a provider found.
- To find cases where Ion was not cautious enough and fix them.
- To improve Ion's questions.
- To report on Ion's safety, for example to regulators or to the public.
We never sell the copies and never use them for advertising.
5. Checks for someone else
If you do checks for a child, you decide for them. If you do checks for another adult, only say yes if they agree.
6. Saying no
Saying no changes nothing about your care, your reports or what you can do on Ionyx.
7. Turning it off
- You can turn it off at any time on your My agreements page.
- From then on, we stop making copies of your checks.
- We also remove copies we can still match to your checks.
- Once a check itself has been deleted, its copy can no longer be matched to you. That copy stays.
8. How long we keep the copies
We keep the copies for up to 10 years. We take out the names and contact details we can find.
9. Your agreement
By ticking the box, you agree that Ionyx may keep de-identified copies of your checks and use them to improve Ionyx, as this page explains.