BUILD (Better Understanding of Interstitial Lung Disease) is an academic, educational and research initiative led from the Department of Respiratory Medicine, Amrita Hospital, Kochi, India. This policy explains what information the BUILD mobile app (Android and iOS) and the BUILD website (buildildapp.com) collect, why, who it is shared with, how long it is kept, and the choices you have. It applies to everyone who uses BUILD: healthcare professionals, patients and caregivers.

In short: you create an account with your name, email address and a password, and tell us whether you are a healthcare professional, a patient or a caregiver. Your phone number, city and (for doctors) medical registration number are optional. We never ask for your health records, location, contacts or photos. We do not sell your data, show advertising or track you across other apps and websites. You can delete your account at any time in the app (Settings → Delete my account), on the website, or by emailing us.

1. Who we are

BUILD is run by the BUILD team, Department of Respiratory Medicine, Amrita Hospital (Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences), Kochi, Kerala, India. We decide how your personal data is used and are responsible for it (the "data fiduciary" under India's Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023). Contact details are at the end of this policy.

2. Information we collect

a) Information you give us when you create an account

  • Name and email address (required). Your email address is also your login.
  • Password (required). It is stored only as a secure one-way hash; nobody at BUILD can read it.
  • Account type: healthcare professional, patient or caregiver (required).
  • Phone number and city (optional).
  • Medical registration number (optional, healthcare professionals only), used only to check and approve professional accounts.
  • Your consent: the date and time you agreed to this policy.
  • Account records: when you registered, whether you registered in the app or on the website, your app platform (Android or iOS), when you last logged in, and whether a professional account has been approved.

We ask no medical questions and do not collect health records, diagnoses or test results about you.

b) Information collected automatically

  • App install identifier: a random code created by the app when it is installed. It is not linked to your phone's hardware or advertising ID. We store it only as a one-way keyed hash and use it to count app users and to count each quiz answer once.
  • App details: platform (Android or iOS), app version and the view you are using (professional or patient), sent with each request so we can keep the app working and count usage.
  • Usage records: which page or feature was requested, when, and whether it worked. Website visits are counted with a keyed hash of your IP address, browser and the date that changes every day, so a visitor cannot be followed from one day to the next. We do not store raw IP addresses in these records.
  • Server security logs: like any web service, our server briefly records technical data such as IP address and browser type to keep BUILD secure and to fix problems.
  • Push notification token (only if you allow notifications): a token issued by Expo, Google or Apple, with your view (professional or patient) and the alert topics you chose, so we can send the alerts you asked for.

c) Anonymous research data

  • Quiz answers: the option you chose for a Quiz Corner case and whether it came from a professional or a patient/caregiver account. Answers are not linked to your name, email or account.
  • BUILD Score calculations: when a calculation is completed, the values entered (age, sex, imaging and lung-function items, and the other score items), the points, the stage, the date and whether the user is a professional or a patient. Nothing that identifies you or a patient (no name, account, hospital number or device) is saved with it. Please do not enter information that could identify a patient.

d) Information kept only on your device

  • Your sign-in token (so you stay logged in), a copy of your account details, your chosen view, your quiz answers, notification preferences and a copy of BUILD content for offline use. This is removed when you log out, delete your account or uninstall the app.

We do not collect your location, contacts, photos or files, microphone or camera input, payment information, browsing history from other apps or websites, or advertising identifiers.

3. How we use your information

  • To create and run your account, let you log in on the app and website, and keep you signed in.
  • To show you the right content (professional or patient) and to approve healthcare professional accounts.
  • To send alerts you have turned on, such as live MDM reminders and new quiz cases, and to contact you about ILD education, MDM sessions and BUILD updates, as you agreed when you registered.
  • To understand how BUILD is used (number of users, popular pages) and to keep it reliable and secure.
  • To study, in anonymous form, how quiz cases are answered and how the BUILD Score is used, to improve teaching and the score.

We process your personal data on the basis of the consent you give when you register, which you can withdraw at any time by deleting your account. We do not use your data for advertising, sell it, or use it for automated decisions about you.

4. Who we share it with

We do not sell, rent or trade personal data. Only authorised members of the BUILD team at Amrita Hospital can see account details. We use a small number of service providers who process data on our behalf, only to run BUILD:

  • Web hosting: the server that runs the BUILD website, app service and database.
  • Expo (650 Industries), Google Firebase Cloud Messaging and Apple Push Notification service: deliver push notifications to your phone if you allow them. They receive your push token and the notification text.
  • Google Fonts: the website loads its typefaces from Google's servers, so your browser shares its IP address with Google when pages load.
  • YouTube and live webcast platforms (such as RespiTalk CME): recordings and webcasts open or play on these services, which apply their own privacy policies. Embedded videos on our website use YouTube's privacy-enhanced mode.

We may disclose information if required by law, or to protect the safety of users or the public. Some of these providers may process data outside India; they are bound by their own security and privacy commitments.

5. Cookies

The website uses only essential cookies: a session cookie that keeps you logged in and a security token that protects forms. If you choose "Keep me signed in", a longer-lasting login cookie is set. We do not use advertising or tracking cookies, and visitor counting works without cookies. The app does not use cookies.

6. How long we keep it

  • Account details: until you delete your account (or ask us to). When you delete it, your personal details and logins are deleted straight away.
  • Backups: daily backups are kept for 14 days, so deleted details disappear from backups within 14 days, and always within 30 days of your request.
  • Usage records: 90 days. Admin activity records: 180 days (after an account is deleted, they no longer show your name).
  • Push tokens: until you turn notifications off, they stop working, or you delete your account.
  • Anonymous quiz answers and BUILD Score calculations: kept for teaching and research, as they cannot identify you.

7. Your rights and choices

  • See and correct your details: in the app (Settings → Your account) or on the My account page of the website.
  • Delete your account: in the app (Settings → Delete my account), on the website (My account → Delete my account), or by email. See how to delete your account.
  • Withdraw consent: delete your account at any time. This does not affect anything done before you withdrew it.
  • Notifications: turn alerts on or off in the app or in your phone's settings.
  • Ask us: for a copy of your data, a correction, or to raise a concern, email us. We reply within 30 days. If you are not satisfied, you may complain to the Data Protection Board of India.

8. Security

All data travels over encrypted (HTTPS) connections. Passwords and sign-in tokens are stored only as one-way hashes. Healthcare professional accounts are checked before use, access to the admin panel is limited to the BUILD team and protected by passwords (with optional two-step verification), and lecture slides are protected against screenshots in the app. No system is perfectly secure, but we take reasonable steps to protect your information and will tell you and the authorities about a breach where the law requires.

9. Children

BUILD is intended for adults (18 and over) and healthcare professionals. It is not directed at children, and we do not knowingly collect personal data from anyone under 18. If you believe a child has registered, contact us and we will delete the account.

10. Medical disclaimer

BUILD provides education and general guidance. It does not replace consultation with your treating doctor or emergency care, and the BUILD Score is a research tool, not a diagnostic device. In an emergency in India, call 108.

11. Changes to this policy

If we change this policy, we will update this page and the date at the top, and update the app store privacy information. If a change significantly affects how we use your personal data, we will tell you in the app or by email before it takes effect.

12. Contact us

BUILD team, Department of Respiratory Medicine, Amrita Hospital, Ponekkara, Kochi, Kerala 682041, India
Email: asmitamehta790@gmail.com (please write "BUILD privacy" in the subject)
Appointments desk: 0484 285 7676