Privacy Policy

"Duty to Dissent" Storytelling Project

Protecting Medical Professional Contributors

Effective Date: July 4, 2025Last Updated: July 12, 2025

Our Commitment to Your Privacy

The Duty to Dissent (D2D) project is committed to protecting the privacy and confidentiality of medical professionals who courageously share their experiences of choosing medical conscience over conformity. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, protect, and share your personal information.

Information We Collect

Directly From You:

• Story Premise Intake Form (SPIF): Professional background, personal experiences, contact information

• Story Premise Enhancement Form (SPEF): Detailed storytelling preferences, voice characteristics, narrative elements

• Draft Review Forms: Feedback on story development and revisions

• Email Communications: Correspondence during the editorial collaboration process

• Supporting Materials: Documents or evidence you choose to share (with explicit permission only)

Automatically Collected:

• Substack Platform Data: Reading engagement, subscription information (managed by Substack per their privacy policy)

• Website Analytics: Basic usage statistics to improve our editorial process

How We Use Your Information

Primary Uses:

• Story Development: Creating compelling narratives from your experiences

• Editorial Collaboration: Working with you through the revision process

• Legal Protection: Ensuring appropriate safeguards for sensitive content

• Attribution Management: Honoring your chosen level of identification (real name, pseudonym, or anonymous)

• Communication: Coordinating the storytelling process and providing project updates

We Do NOT:

• Sell your personal information to third parties

• Use your information for marketing unrelated to D2D

• Share identifying details without explicit permission

• Retain information longer than necessary for project purposes

Information Sharing and Disclosure

Limited Sharing With:

• Assigned Editors: Your dedicated editorial team members who help develop your story

• Editorial Board: For quality review and publication decisions (with identifying information removed when possible)

• Legal Reviewers: Attorney review for content protection if deemed necessary (eg, if any potential HIPAA concerns)

• Technical Support: Substack platform administrators (governed by Substack's privacy policy)

We May Disclose Information When:

• Your Consent: When you explicitly authorize additional sharing

• Legal Requirement: Required by law, court order

• Safety Concerns: To protect against imminent harm to individuals

We Will NEVER Share:

• Protected Health Information: Any patient-related information you may reference

• Confidential Professional Details: Information unauthorized by you that could compromise your current employment

• Personal Contact Information: With other contributors or the general public

Your Privacy Choices

Attribution Options:

• Full Name with Credentials: Public identification with your professional qualifications

• First Name Only: Limited identification for partial privacy

• Pseudonym: Creative alternative identity of your choosing

• Anonymous: Complete privacy protection with general geographic/specialty indicators only

Story-Specific Privacy:

• You may choose different attribution levels for different stories

• You can request modifications to published stories if privacy concerns arise

• You maintain right to withdraw unpublished content at any time

Data Security

Protection Measures:

• Access Controls: Limited access to authorized editorial team members only

• Confidentiality: All team members agree to strict confidentiality policies and practices

• Regular Security Reviews: Ongoing assessment of data protection practices

Anonymization Protocols:

• Professional Details: Modification of identifying workplace information 

• Timeline Adjustments: Altering specific dates for privacy protection

• Geographic Generalization: Using regional rather than specific location identifiers

• Supporting Document Redaction: Removing all identifying information from any shared materials

Medical Professional Protections

Special Considerations for Healthcare Contributors:

• HIPAA Compliance: Strict adherence to health information privacy requirements

• Professional Risk Assessment: Editorial review for potential licensing board concerns

• Workplace Protection: Anonymization of employer and colleague information 

• Legal Consultation: Access to legal review for sensitive content

Current Practice Protection:

• Extra Anonymization: Enhanced privacy measures for actively practicing physicians

• Timeline Flexibility: Delayed publication options for sensitive timing

• Withdrawal Rights: Ability to remove content if circumstances change

Data Retention

How Long We Keep Information:

• Published Stories: Indefinitely as part of permanent historical record

• Draft Materials: Until final publication approval, then archived securely

• Personal Communications: Retained for project coordination, deleted after story completion

• Supporting Documents: Deleted immediately after editorial use unless explicitly authorized for retention

Your Right to Request:

• Data Review: Access to all information we have about you

• Corrections: Updates to any inaccurate information

• Deletion: Removal of unpublished personal information (published stories become part of historical record)

Third-Party Services

Substack Platform:

Our publication is hosted on Substack, which has its own privacy policy governing:

• Reader subscription information

• Email delivery and engagement tracking

• Payment processing for any future premium content

• Platform analytics and performance metrics

Legal Services:

We work with legal professionals who are bound by attorney-client privilege and professional confidentiality requirements.

Children's Privacy

D2D is intended for adult medical professionals. We do not knowingly collect information from individuals under 18 years of age.

International Contributors

While D2D primarily serves medical professionals in the United States, we welcome international contributors. Please note:

• Data Transfer: Information may be processed in the United States

• Local Laws: You remain responsible for compliance with your local privacy regulations

• Legal Protections: Our legal review focuses on U.S. law compliance

Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy to reflect changes in our practices or legal requirements. When we make changes:

• Notification: We will notify all active contributors via email

• Effective Date: Changes take effect 30 days after notification

• Continued Participation: Ongoing collaboration indicates acceptance of updated terms

Your Rights and Choices

You Have the Right To:

• Access: Review all personal information we maintain about you

• Correct: Update any inaccurate or incomplete information

• Withdraw: Remove yourself from the project and request deletion of unpublished information

• Limit: Restrict how we use or share your information

• Object: Oppose certain uses of your information

How to Exercise Your Rights:

• Email: Contact us at drwild1@gmail.com (project coordinator)

• Response Time: We will respond within 30 days of your request

Contact Information

For questions about this Privacy Policy or your personal information:

Project Coordinator: W. Campbell Douglass III, MD, MS ("Camp")Email: drwild1@gmail.comPhone: 386-451-9041

Legal Framework

This Privacy Policy operates in conjunction with our Terms of Service and is designed to comply with applicable privacy laws, including state medical privacy requirements and professional confidentiality standards.

By participating in the D2D project, you acknowledge that you have read, understood, and agree to this Privacy Policy. Your courage in sharing your experience helps preserve an important historical record of medical conscience over conformity.

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