Terms of Service

1. Acceptance of Terms

By accessing and using Ask Your Surgeon ("the Service"), you agree to be bound by these Terms of Service ("Terms"). If you do not agree to these Terms, please do not use the Service.

2. Description of Service

Ask Your Surgeon is an AI-powered chatbot that provides evidence-based information about clinical conditions within the specialty configured for this deployment. The Service retrieves information from clinical sources registered by the operating organisation — typically national guideline bodies, professional medical societies, peer-reviewed journals, and registered medical charities relevant to the specialty and region.

3. User Eligibility

To use this Service, you must:

• Be 18 years of age or older, OR use the Service under parental/guardian supervision
• Have been diagnosed with a urology condition by a qualified healthcare professional
• Provide accurate and truthful information during registration
• Comply with all applicable laws and regulations in your jurisdiction

4. Scope and Limitations

4.1 What the Service DOES

• Provides educational information about diagnosed urology conditions
• Explains medical terminology in accessible language
• Summarizes treatment options available (not personalized recommendations)
• Offers evidence-based statistics from trusted sources

4.2 What the Service DOES NOT Do

• Diagnose: Cannot determine if you have a medical condition
• Prescribe Treatment: Cannot recommend which treatment is best for you personally
• Replace Your Doctor: Not a substitute for professional medical advice
• Handle Emergencies: Not designed for urgent or emergency situations
• Guarantee Outcomes: Medical information is general, not specific to your case

5. User Responsibilities

You agree to:

• Use the Service responsibly and only for its intended educational purpose
• Consult your healthcare provider before making any medical decisions
• Report any technical issues or inaccurate information to your clinician
• Not attempt to bypass security measures or access other users' data
• Not use the Service for commercial purposes without written permission
• Not share your login credentials with others

6. Clinician Access

If you link your account to a clinician using a clinician code:

• Your clinician will be able to view your conversation history with the chatbot
• This feature is designed to help your clinician understand your concerns and provide better care
• You can unlink from your clinician at any time through your profile settings
• Unlinking will prevent future access but does not delete previously viewed conversations

7. Data Privacy and Security

Your use of the Service is also governed by our Privacy Policy. We implement industry-standard security measures to protect your personal health information, including:

• TLS encryption for all data in transit and Transparent Data Encryption at rest
• Application-level access controls and parameterised queries
• Secure authentication via email/password (bcrypt hashed)
• Security headers (HSTS, XSS protection), rate limiting, and audit logging

8. Accuracy and Reliability

While we strive for accuracy, we cannot guarantee that:

• All information is current or complete at all times
• The Service is free from errors or interruptions
• Chatbot responses are always 100% accurate (AI systems can make mistakes)
• The Service will meet your specific medical information needs

Always verify important medical information with your healthcare provider.

For details on how our AI system works, including its safety mechanisms and validation layers, our AI Explainability Statement is available on request. Contact askyoursurgeonteam@gmail.com.

9. Limitation of Liability

To the fullest extent permitted by law:

• The Service is provided "AS IS" without warranties of any kind
• We are not liable for any medical decisions made based on information from the Service
• We are not liable for any harm resulting from reliance on chatbot responses
• We are not responsible for third-party content or links (clinical sources registered by the operating organisation)
• Our total liability is limited to the amount you paid for the Service (if applicable)

10. Intellectual Property

• The Service, including its design, code, and AI models, is owned by Ask Your Surgeon
• Medical source content is owned by the respective publishing organisations
• You retain ownership of questions you ask and profile information you provide
• You grant us a license to use your anonymized data to improve the Service

11. Prohibited Uses

You must NOT:

• Use the Service to self-diagnose or delay seeking medical treatment
• Share medical information from the Service as if it were personalized medical advice
• Attempt to reverse-engineer, scrape, or copy the Service
• Use the Service to train competing AI models
• Violate any applicable laws or regulations
• Harass, abuse, or harm others through the Service

12. Service Availability

• We aim for 99% uptime but cannot guarantee uninterrupted service
• We may suspend service for maintenance, updates, or security reasons
• We reserve the right to modify or discontinue features at any time

13. Account Termination

We may suspend or terminate your account if you:

• Violate these Terms of Service
• Engage in fraudulent or abusive behavior
• Attempt to compromise service security
• Use the Service for unauthorized commercial purposes

You may delete your account at any time through your profile settings.

14. Changes to Terms

We may update these Terms from time to time. Changes will be posted on this page with an updated "Last Updated" date. Continued use of the Service after changes constitutes acceptance of the updated Terms. Material changes will be communicated via email.

15. Governing Law

These Terms are governed by the laws of England and Wales. Any disputes will be resolved in the courts of England and Wales.

16. Contact Information

For questions about these Terms of Service, please contact:

Email: askyoursurgeonteam@gmail.com

17. Severability

If any provision of these Terms is found to be unenforceable, the remaining provisions will remain in full effect.

18. Entire Agreement

These Terms, together with our Privacy Policy, constitute the entire agreement between you and Ask Your Surgeon regarding use of the Service.