Terms of Service

1. Acceptance of these terms

Doctalink is an end-to-end encrypted messaging service operated as a sole proprietorship by Nithin Jay Dodla, an individual based in Texas, USA ("Doctalink," "we," "us"). By creating an account or using the app or website, you agree to these Terms of Service and to our Privacy Policy. If you do not agree, do not use Doctalink.

Doctalink is currently offered as a limited beta/pilot. The service is provided for evaluation, may change or be discontinued, and may contain bugs. See the disclaimers below.

2. Who may use Doctalink

Doctalink is currently available only to verified healthcare providers who are licensed in the United States and are at least 18 years old. Use of Doctalink from outside the United States is not authorized at this time; we may revisit availability for additional jurisdictions in the future. By registering, you represent that you hold a valid U.S. license or credential and that all information you provide is accurate. Registration requires NPI verification and institutional email confirmation. Creating an account under false pretenses or without valid credentials is prohibited and may result in suspension, legal action, and a report to the relevant licensing authority.

3. What Doctalink is — and is not

Doctalink is a private communication tool. It is not an electronic health record, not a clinical decision-support system, and not a substitute for professional judgment, in-person care, or your institution's official systems of record. You are responsible for all clinical decisions and for documenting care in your own records as required.

4. Your account & security

You are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your credentials and the security of your device, for all activity under your account, and for enabling available protections such as biometric unlock and session timeout. Account access is currently limited to one active device per user. Notify us immediately of any unauthorized access at doctalinksupport@gmail.com.

5. Acceptable use

You agree to use Doctalink only for legitimate professional communication between verified providers. You will not:

• share PHI with unauthorized individuals or in violation of HIPAA or your institution's policies;
• send spam, unsolicited, harassing, discriminatory, or unlawful content;
• attempt to defeat, probe, or circumvent any security or verification feature;
• reverse engineer, resell, or misuse the service; or
• impersonate any person or misrepresent your credentials.

6. HIPAA & your responsibilities

Doctalink provides technical safeguards (end-to-end encryption, access controls, audit logging) to support HIPAA-compliant communication. However, you remain responsible for your own compliance with HIPAA and your institution's policies, including what information you choose to transmit. During the pilot, do not transmit real PHI unless you have signed a Business Associate Agreement (BAA) with us. We will make a BAA available before any real-PHI use.

7. Suspension & termination

We may suspend or terminate your access if you violate these Terms, if we receive substantiated reports of misconduct, or if you cease to be licensed or in good standing. If your license is suspended or revoked, you must stop using Doctalink and notify us. On termination, your access and associated data are removed in accordance with our Privacy Policy. You may appeal a suspension within 30 days by emailing doctalinksupport@gmail.com. You may stop using Doctalink and delete your account at any time.

8. Disclaimers

Doctalink is provided "AS IS" and "AS AVAILABLE," without warranties of any kind, whether express or implied, including merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, and non-infringement. We do not warrant that the service will be uninterrupted, error-free, or secure, or that messages will always be delivered. Because Doctalink is in beta, data loss is possible; do not rely on it as a system of record.

9. Limitation of liability

To the fullest extent permitted by law, Doctalink and its operator will not be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages, or for any loss of data, profits, or goodwill, arising out of or related to your use of the service. Our total liability for any claim will not exceed the greater of the amount you paid us in the 12 months before the claim or USD $100. We are not responsible for clinical decisions made based on communications within the app. Some jurisdictions do not allow certain limitations, so some of the above may not apply to you.

10. Indemnification

You agree to indemnify and hold harmless Doctalink and its operator from any claims, damages, or expenses (including reasonable legal fees) arising from your misuse of the service, your violation of these Terms, or your handling of PHI in violation of applicable law.

11. Intellectual property

Doctalink, including the app, website, and their content, is owned by its operator and protected by applicable law. You retain ownership of the content of your messages. We claim no rights to your message content beyond what is needed to transmit and store it for you.

12. Changes to these terms

We may update these Terms from time to time. We will post the updated version here with a new effective date and, for material changes, provide notice in the app or by email. Continued use after an update means you accept the revised Terms.

13. Governing law

These Terms are governed by the laws of the State of Texas, without regard to its conflict-of-laws rules. You agree that the exclusive venue for any dispute not subject to small-claims court will be the state or federal courts located in Texas, and you consent to their jurisdiction.

14. Contact

Questions about these Terms:
Nithin Jay Dodla (operator of Doctalink)
Email: doctalinksupport@gmail.com