No identifiable patient information
Never upload or disclose information that identifies, or could reasonably identify, a patient or another person. This applies to ECG images, PDFs, case descriptions, comments, paper attachments, calendar discussions, polls, filenames and metadata. The site is not a clinical records system, a patient-consent system or an authorized channel for sharing patient charts. A code-protected or members-only page is not proof that disclosure is lawful.
Check every part of a file
Remove names, initials, birth dates, personal health numbers, chart and medical-record numbers, incident and dispatch numbers, addresses, phone numbers, faces, voices, signatures, barcodes, QR codes, identifying labels and relevant device or staff identifiers. Avoid precise dates, times, locations, ages, rare circumstances or combinations of facts that could identify a person. Check the entire ECG, margins, PDF pages, hidden text, document properties, image metadata, filenames and links. A visible black box may leave searchable or recoverable text underneath; do not rely on a superficial overlay.
Removing a name is not enough
Consider whether someone who knows the event, location, staff or patient could recognize the case. De-identification can fail and does not automatically authorize disclosure. Prefer fictional, simulated or clearly adapted teaching cases and lawfully shared teaching ECGs. If you cannot establish both safe anonymization and authority to share, do not submit. Patient consent, where relevant, does not by itself override employer, institutional, professional or legal restrictions; the operator does not assess or obtain that consent for you.
Your acknowledgment and continuing duties
When creating a profile or entering the testing site, you must acknowledge these confidentiality duties and the site’s educational limitations. The site records the acknowledgment time and policy version. The checkbox is a commitment by the participant; it is not a waiver of patient rights, proof of permission, or a substitute for legal, employer or professional obligations. Your duties apply to every later upload, comment and discussion.
ECG review and other contributions
ECGs enter an administrator review queue before publication. Moderation can miss identifiers or errors. Papers, comments and other contributions may publish without advance review. Authors remain responsible for their submissions. Administrators can deny or remove content, remove attachments, and restrict accounts. Do not reproduce a concerning file or its identifiers in a comment when raising a concern.
Respectful, evidence-informed discussion
Welcome questions and different experience levels. Discuss reasoning and evidence, identify uncertainty, and cite sources. Do not present opinion as verified fact, credentials as independently checked, or a comment as medical direction. Harassment, discrimination, threats, impersonation and attempts to identify a patient or colleague are prohibited. Never redistribute community material outside the platform unless you have lawful authority and the necessary permissions.
Report an accidental disclosure
Stop sharing immediately. Report the affected page or post through the Privacy & Legal Contact form using its link, title and a general description only. Do not re-upload the file or repeat patient identifiers. Also follow your employer’s or institution’s incident-reporting process without delay; reporting to this site does not replace it. Administrators should restrict or remove concerning content, assess the issue and take notification or other steps required by applicable obligations. This form is not continuously monitored or an emergency service.