A safer space for shared health journeys.

The Health Journal App is built around trust. People share deeply personal health information here — sometimes things they haven't told anyone else. These guidelines exist to make sure that trust is never broken, and that everyone who uses the app feels safe doing so.

1. Who These Guidelines Are For

These Community Guidelines apply to every person who uses the Health Journal App — whether you are a paid subscriber or a free viewer account holder. They cover all interactions that take place within the app, including direct messages between users.

By using the app, you agree to these guidelines. They sit alongside our Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and should be read together with them. Where there is any conflict, our Terms & Conditions take precedence.

These guidelines will be updated as new features are introduced. The version and date at the top of this document indicates when they were last revised. We will notify you of material changes.

2. The Spirit of This Space

Health is personal. It can be joyful, frustrating, frightening, and everything in between. The Health Journal App is designed to help people track, understand, and — where they choose — share their health journeys in a way that feels safe and supported.

We want every interaction within the app to reflect these values:

• Kindness — treat every person with the same care you would want for yourself.
• Respect — people's health experiences are their own. Do not judge, minimise, or second-guess them.
• Privacy — what people share with you is a gift of trust. Honour it absolutely.
• Honesty — be genuine. Do not misrepresent yourself, your credentials, or your intentions.
• Responsibility — you are accountable for what you say and share within the app.

3. Direct Messaging

3.1 Who Can Message Whom

Direct messaging is available between users who are already connected through a health record sharing invitation. You can message someone who has shared records with you, or someone with whom you have shared your own records. Messaging is not open to all users — it is limited to existing connections.

This means every conversation within the app begins with an act of trust — a sharing invitation that was deliberately made. We expect all messaging to reflect and respect that foundation.

3.2 What Messaging Is For

Direct messaging is provided to support conversations that are relevant to the health records being shared — for example, questions about your health data, updates, or supportive check-ins between people who have chosen to share their health journeys with each other.

Messaging should be used thoughtfully. Because connections are formed through health record sharing, both parties have already shared something vulnerable. That context should inform how you communicate.

3.3 How to Message Well

We ask all users to:

• Be considerate — you may be communicating with someone at a difficult point in their health journey. Choose your words with care.
• Stay on topic — keep conversations relevant to the health sharing connection between you.
• Respect boundaries — if someone does not respond or asks you to stop messaging, respect that immediately.
• Be honest about who you are — do not misrepresent your identity, role, or qualifications in any message.
• Never use messaging to pressure, persuade, or pursue someone for personal, commercial, or any other purpose unrelated to the health connection you share.

3.4 What Is Not Permitted in Messages

The following are not permitted in direct messages and may result in action being taken against your account:

• Harassment, intimidation, bullying, or any threatening language.
• Sharing another person's health data with anyone outside the app, or discussing it with a third party without explicit consent.
• Sending unsolicited promotional, commercial, or advertising content.
• Providing medical diagnoses, prescriptions, or clinical advice — even if you are a qualified healthcare professional. The app is not a clinical platform.
• Sharing content that is discriminatory, hateful, sexually explicit, or otherwise harmful.
• Impersonating any other person or misrepresenting your professional credentials.
• Sending any content that is illegal under the laws of England and Wales or the United States.

4. Health Data in Messages

Because your connections are built on health record sharing, health information may naturally come up in conversation. This is expected and entirely appropriate. However, the same rules that govern shared records apply equally to any health information discussed in messages:

• Health data discussed in messages belongs to the person who shared it. It must not be passed on, discussed with others, or used for any purpose beyond the conversation.
• Do not share screenshots, copies, or summaries of health-related messages with anyone outside the app.
• Treat any health information shared in a message with the same sensitivity and confidentiality as a shared health record.

If someone shares something in a message that concerns you — for example, a disclosure about their physical or mental wellbeing — please treat it with care and compassion. You are not expected to act as a healthcare provider, but a kind and considered response can make a real difference. If you believe someone is in crisis, please encourage them to seek professional support.

5. Sensitive & Distressing Disclosures

People sometimes share difficult things — about their mental health, chronic illness, or personal struggles. If someone shares something sensitive with you in a message:

• Listen with empathy and without judgement.
• Do not offer clinical diagnoses or treatment advice, even if you have relevant professional knowledge — the app is not the right setting for clinical consultations.
• Encourage them to speak to a healthcare professional if their situation sounds serious.
• If you believe someone is in immediate danger, encourage them to call emergency services (999 in the UK, 911 in the US) or contact a crisis line.

We do not expect our users to act as counsellors or clinicians. We do expect them to respond to one another with humanity.

UK crisis support: Samaritans — 116 123 (free, 24/7). Mind — 0300 123 3393. Shout text service — text SHOUT to 85258. US crisis support: 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline — call or text 988. Crisis Text Line — text HOME to 741741.

6. Revoking Access & Ending Connections

You are always in control of your connections within the app. If you no longer want someone to have access to your shared records, or if you no longer wish to receive messages from them, you can revoke the sharing invitation at any time through your account settings. Revocation is immediate.

When a sharing invitation is revoked:

• The recipient's access to your shared records ends immediately.
• Direct messaging between you and that person will also be disabled.

You do not need to give a reason for revoking access. Your control over your own health data and your connections is absolute.

Recipients may also decline a sharing invitation. Declining means the connection is never established and no messages can be exchanged.

7. Reporting & How We Respond

7.1 How to Report

If you receive a message that makes you uncomfortable, feel threatened, or that you believe violates these guidelines, please report it to us immediately at support@healthjournal.app. Include as much detail as you are comfortable sharing, including the date and nature of the message.

We take all reports seriously and will investigate promptly. We will not share your identity with the person you are reporting unless we are legally required to do so.

7.2 How We Review Messages

We do not routinely read or monitor private messages between users. Direct messages are private. However, we reserve the right to review message content in the following circumstances:

• A message has been reported by a user and we need to investigate.
• We have reasonable grounds to believe that a serious breach of these guidelines or our Terms & Conditions has occurred or is occurring.
• We are required to do so by law, court order, or a legitimate request from law enforcement.
• We have reason to believe that a user may be at serious risk of harm to themselves or others — in which case we may act without a report being made (our safeguarding exception).

Any review of message content will be carried out only to the extent necessary to investigate the specific concern, and will be handled in accordance with our Privacy Policy.

7.3 What Happens After a Report

On receiving a report, we will:

• Acknowledge receipt of your report promptly.
• Review the relevant content in accordance with Section 7.2.
• Take appropriate action, which may include any of the measures set out in Section 8.
• Let you know the outcome, to the extent we are able to do so while respecting the privacy of all parties.

We aim to resolve all reports within 5 working days. Complex cases may take longer.

7.4 Acting in Good Faith

We ask that all reports are made in good faith. Submitting false or malicious reports designed to harass or harm another user is itself a violation of these guidelines and may result in action being taken against the reporting account.

8. Enforcement

Where we determine that a user has violated these guidelines, we will respond proportionately. The table below sets out our general approach, though we retain full discretion to apply any response we consider appropriate to the circumstances.

In all cases, we will act in accordance with our Terms & Conditions, which set out the full scope of our enforcement powers including our right to terminate accounts. Users who believe an enforcement decision has been made in error may contact us at support@healthjournal.app to request a review.

9. Looking After Yourself

Using an app that centres on your health can sometimes feel emotionally demanding. We want to remind you that it is always okay to:

• Take a break from the app if it feels like too much.
• Revoke access or disconnect from someone if a connection no longer feels right for you.
• Reach out to a healthcare professional or a trusted person if something you have read or discussed has affected you.
• Contact us if you have any concerns about your experience on the app.

Your wellbeing matters more than any feature of this app. We are here to support your health journey, not to add to your burden.

10. Future Community Features

This section sets out the framework we will apply when broader community features are introduced. No public community spaces currently exist within the app — this section is published in advance so users understand how we intend to grow the platform responsibly.

When community spaces are introduced — such as group discussions, topic forums, or peer support spaces — they will be governed by supplementary guidelines published at that time. The following table outlines our planned approach to each feature area:

All future community features will be built on the same values that underpin the current app: kindness, respect, privacy, honesty, and responsibility. The core principles in Sections 2 through 9 of these guidelines will continue to apply to any new features.

We will notify all users when new community features are launched and when supplementary guidelines are published. You will be required to read and accept any updated guidelines before accessing new community spaces.

11. Contact Us

If you have any questions about these guidelines, want to report a concern, or need support, please get in touch: