Disclaimer
Effective date: September 1, 2026
These Terms of Use and Disclaimer apply to DocsRef and IMTechEd, including their websites, pages, articles, images, tools, and related content (collectively, the Site). The Site is created and maintained by J. Austin Straley, DO (the Author).
By accessing or using the Site, you acknowledge these terms. If you do not agree with them, do not use the Site.
Educational Purpose Only¶
The Site provides general medical and educational information. Its content is intended primarily for education and reference and does not constitute medical advice, diagnosis, treatment, consultation, or any other professional service.
The Site is not a substitute for an independent clinical assessment, professional judgment, or advice from a qualified healthcare professional who knows the relevant patient and circumstances. Do not delay or disregard professional medical advice because of information on the Site.
The Site is not intended for emergency use. If you believe you or another person may be experiencing a medical emergency, contact local emergency services immediately.
No Physician–Patient Relationship¶
Accessing, reading, using, or communicating through the Site does not create a physician–patient relationship between you and the Author. The Site does not undertake to evaluate any individual patient or assume responsibility for a user's medical care.
Do not submit confidential, identifying, or protected health information through the Site or by email. Any contact information provided by the Site is not a secure channel for patient care.
Professional Use¶
Healthcare professionals are responsible for independently confirming the accuracy, applicability, contraindications, dosing, calculations, guidelines, and current regulatory status of any information before using it in clinical practice.
Clinical decisions must be based on the complete clinical context, current primary sources, applicable guidelines, local protocols, and the professional's own judgment. The Site should not be used as the sole basis for diagnosis, treatment, medication administration, procedural planning, or any other patient-care decision.
Accuracy and Currency¶
The Author makes reasonable efforts to provide useful information but does not guarantee that Site content is complete, accurate, current, error-free, or suitable for a particular purpose. Medical knowledge, guidelines, drug information, device information, and standards of care change over time. Content may be revised, corrected, relocated, or removed without notice.
References and links may become outdated. Publication or revision dates do not guarantee that every statement reflects the most recent evidence or recommendation.
Independence and Affiliations¶
The Site is a personal educational project created by the Author in an individual capacity. Unless expressly stated otherwise, opinions and content on DocsRef and IMTechEd are the Author's own and do not represent or imply endorsement by any employer, hospital, healthcare system, training program, university, professional organization, or other affiliated entity.
References to organizations, products, medications, devices, or services do not imply endorsement. Trademarks and trade names belong to their respective owners.
Clinical Images and Patient Privacy¶
Clinical images and case material may be simplified, modified, de-identified, reproduced under an applicable license, or used with appropriate authorization. They are presented for education and may not include the complete clinical context.
No image or case should be used to identify, diagnose, or draw conclusions about a particular individual. If you believe material on the Site may contain identifying information or raises a privacy concern, contact the Author promptly at imteched@gmail.com.
De-identification does not by itself establish ownership or permission to publish. Clinical material is used subject to applicable privacy requirements, institutional policies, licenses, and permissions.
External Links and Third-Party Content¶
The Site may link to or display material from third-party websites. Links are provided for convenience and reference. The Author does not control third-party sites and does not guarantee their availability, security, privacy practices, accuracy, or content.
A link, citation, or reference does not necessarily constitute endorsement, affiliation, sponsorship, or approval. Your use of a third-party website is governed by that site's own terms and policies.
Third-party images, figures, quotations, trademarks, and other materials remain subject to the rights and licenses identified in their captions, source pages, or accompanying notices.
Intellectual Property and Licenses¶
Copyright and licensing terms for the Site are described on the separate License page.
Unless otherwise stated:
- The MIT License applies only to original software and source code identified as MIT-licensed.
- Original written content, clinical reference material, tables, images, and illustrations are not licensed under the MIT License.
- Third-party material remains subject to the rights of its respective owner and any license or permission identified with that material.
Nothing in these terms grants permission to reuse third-party material. Attribution alone does not create a right to reproduce copyrighted content.
No Warranties¶
To the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, the Site and its content are provided “as is” and “as available,” without warranties of any kind, express or implied. The Author disclaims warranties of accuracy, completeness, reliability, availability, merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, title, and non-infringement.
The Author does not warrant that the Site will be continuously available, secure, or free from errors, harmful code, or other technical defects.
Limitation of Liability¶
To the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, the Author will not be liable for any direct, indirect, incidental, consequential, special, exemplary, or punitive damages; personal injury; loss of data; loss of revenue; or other loss arising from or related to access to, use of, inability to use, or reliance on the Site or its content.
This limitation applies regardless of the legal theory asserted and even if the Author has been advised that such harm may occur. Nothing in these terms excludes or limits liability that cannot lawfully be excluded or limited.
Changes to the Site or These Terms¶
The Author may modify the Site or these terms at any time. Revised terms become effective when posted, with the effective date shown above. Continued use of the Site after a revision constitutes acceptance of the revised terms to the extent permitted by applicable law.
Governing Law¶
To the extent permitted by applicable law, these terms are governed by the laws of the State of West Virginia, without regard to conflict-of-law principles.
If any provision is found unenforceable, the remaining provisions will remain in effect. Failure to enforce a provision does not waive the right to enforce it later.
Contact¶
Questions concerning the Site, permissions, privacy concerns, or these terms may be directed to:
These terms are provided as general website terms and have not been represented as individualized legal advice. Material legal provisions should be reviewed by a qualified attorney familiar with the Site's actual features, data practices, and jurisdiction.