Overview

Blood Is More is an educational platform dedicated to teaching about blood banking, transfusion medicine, and the complexity of blood group systems. We are committed to protecting your privacy while conducting academic research to improve blood banking education.

Information We Collect

1. Educational Analytics (Automatic)

When you use our platform, we automatically collect anonymous usage data to improve the learning experience:

• Page views and navigation: Which sections you visit and how long you spend on each page
• Quiz performance: Your quiz scores, question difficulty, and time spent per question
• Feature usage: Which interactive tools you use (Blood Type Explorer, Compatibility Checker, etc.)
• Engagement metrics: Scroll depth, button clicks, and content interactions

This data is collected using Supabase (PostgreSQL) and PostHog analytics. No personal information is collected - all analytics are tied to anonymous session IDs stored in your browser.

2. Academic Research Surveys (Optional)

We conduct academic research to measure the effectiveness of blood banking education. Participation in surveys is completely voluntary and you can skip any question or decline to participate at any time.

Pre-Learning Survey

Before taking a quiz, you may be invited to participate in a brief pre-learning survey (approximately 2 minutes). This survey collects:

• Demographics (optional): Age bracket, education level, professional category (e.g., student, healthcare professional, general public)
• Prior knowledge: Self-assessment of your baseline knowledge about blood types and transfusion medicine
• Baseline attitudes: Your views on blood donation and its importance before learning
• Motivation: What brought you to this website (curiosity, exam prep, personal interest, etc.)

Post-Learning Survey

After completing a quiz, you may be invited to participate in a post-learning survey (approximately 2 minutes). This survey collects:

• Knowledge self-assessment: How your understanding has changed after learning
• Attitude changes: Whether learning about blood complexity changed your views on donation
• Learning experience: What you found most helpful, surprising, or difficult
• Behavioral intent: Whether you're more likely to donate blood, request extended phenotyping, or share what you learned
• Platform feedback: Usability ratings and suggestions for improvement

Follow-Up Surveys (3-month and 6-month)

If you consent and provide your email address, we may invite you to participate in follow-up surveys to measure knowledge retention and actual behavior changes (e.g., did you donate blood after learning about blood complexity?).

3. Optional Email Collection

We collect email addresses only if you explicitly provide them for:

• Gift card raffle: If you choose to enter our raffle for gift cards, you provide an email address for prize notification
• Follow-up research: If you consent to follow-up surveys at 3 months and 6 months, you provide an email address for contact

Email addresses are stored separately from survey responses to maintain anonymity. We will never share, sell, or use your email for marketing purposes.

How We Use Your Data

Educational Improvement

• Identify which topics are most difficult and need better explanations
• Understand which interactive features are most effective for learning
• Optimize quiz difficulty and question quality
• Improve platform usability based on engagement patterns

Academic Research

• Measure the effectiveness of intermediate-level blood banking education
• Assess whether understanding blood complexity increases donation intent
• Identify which educational features are most impactful
• Publish findings in peer-reviewed academic journals (e.g., Transfusion)

All research findings are presented as aggregated, anonymous data. Individual responses are never published or shared.

Gift Card Raffle

• Randomly select raffle winners from entries
• Contact winners via email to deliver gift cards
• Raffle emails are deleted after prizes are awarded

Data Storage and Security

Where Your Data is Stored

• Supabase (PostgreSQL): Survey responses, quiz scores, and analytics events
• PostHog: Anonymous page views, clicks, and engagement metrics
• Browser sessionStorage: Temporary session ID (never sent to our servers unless you submit a survey)

Data Security

• All data is encrypted in transit (HTTPS) and at rest
• Database access is restricted with Row Level Security (RLS) policies
• Only administrators (researchers) can access survey responses
• Email addresses are stored in separate tables from survey responses to maintain anonymity

Data Retention (GDPR Article 5(1)(e))

We only retain personal data for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes for which it was collected. Our retention periods are:

• Survey responses: 2 years from collection date
• Raffle entries: 90 days after raffle completion
• Follow-up email lists: Until you unsubscribe or 1 year of inactivity
• Feedback & ratings: 3 years for improvement tracking
• Anonymous analytics: 1-2 years (PostHog free tier limit)
• Research study data (published): 7 years per NIH requirements
• Aggregated statistics: Permanent (no personal identifiers)

After these retention periods, data is automatically deleted by our automated cleanup system. Deletion request records are kept for 7 years for legal compliance.

Your Privacy Rights

Under GDPR (if you're in the EU) and CCPA (if you're in California), you have the following rights regarding your personal data:

✓ Right to Access (GDPR Article 15)

You have the right to download a copy of all personal data we have about you.

→ Request Data Export

✓ Right to Erasure (GDPR Article 17)

You have the right to request permanent deletion of your personal data.

→ Request Data Deletion

✓ Right to Rectification (GDPR Article 16)

You have the right to correct inaccurate personal data. Contact us at privacy@bloodismore.org to request corrections.

✓ Right to Object (GDPR Article 21)

You have the right to opt-out of analytics tracking. Enable "Do Not Track" in your browser settings - we respect this setting and will not track your usage.

✓ Right to Data Portability (GDPR Article 20)

When you request a data export, we provide your data in portable, machine-readable formats (JSON or CSV).

✓ Right to Withdraw Consent (GDPR Article 7)

You can unsubscribe from all emails at any time using the unsubscribe link in any email, or manage your preferences here:

→ Manage Email Preferences

Response Timeline

We will respond to all privacy rights requests within 30 days as required by GDPR Article 12. Most requests are processed much faster (usually within 24-48 hours).

Data Protection Officer & Contact

Privacy Inquiries: privacy@bloodismore.org

Data Protection Officer: Not required (small organization under GDPR Article 37)

For EU residents: You have the right to lodge a complaint with your local supervisory authority if you believe we've violated GDPR.

International Data Transfers

Your data is stored on servers located in the United States (Vercel, Supabase, PostHog US region).

If you're in the European Union, your data is transferred outside the EU. We ensure adequate protection through:

• Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs) with Vercel and Supabase
• PostHog's GDPR-compliant data processing agreement
• Encryption in transit and at rest

You can request information about these safeguards by contacting us at privacy@bloodismore.org

Institutional Review Board (IRB) Approval

This research study has been reviewed and approved by an Institutional Review Board (IRB) to ensure ethical treatment of participants. The study protocol, survey instruments, and data handling procedures meet academic research standards for human subjects research.

No Cookies Policy

We do not use cookies. Session tracking is done via browser sessionStorage, which:

• Exists only for the current browser tab/window
• Is automatically deleted when you close the tab
• Is never sent to our servers unless you submit a survey
• Cannot track you across different websites

Third-Party Services

Supabase

We use Supabase (a PostgreSQL database service) to store survey responses and analytics. Supabase's privacy policy: https://supabase.com/privacy

PostHog

We use PostHog for anonymous analytics (page views, clicks, feature usage). PostHog's privacy policy: https://posthog.com/privacy

Vercel (Hosting)

This website is hosted on Vercel. Vercel's privacy policy: https://vercel.com/legal/privacy-policy

Children's Privacy

This platform is designed for educational purposes and is appropriate for all ages. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. Survey participation requires consent, and parents/guardians should supervise children's participation.

Changes to This Policy

We may update this privacy policy to reflect changes in our data practices or legal requirements. The "Last updated" date at the top of this page will always show when changes were made. Continued use of the platform after changes constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.

Contact Us

If you have questions about this privacy policy, data usage, or research participation, please contact us via the feedback button on any page or through our GitHub repository: github.com/yourusername/blood-is-more

Consent Summary