IGNITE Terms of Service

These Terms of Service (“Terms”) govern your use of the IGNITE application (“IGNITE,” “the app”), operated by the Vitoux Program in the Department of Medicine at the University of Illinois Chicago (“UIC,” “we,” “us”). Please read them carefully.

1. Acceptance of these Terms

By accessing or using IGNITE, you agree to these Terms and to our Privacy Policy. If you do not agree, do not use the app.

2. What IGNITE is

IGNITE is a research application that provides a digital program to support mood and weight. It includes a virtual coach (“Lumen”) that uses a problem-solving approach, a video-based healthy-lifestyle program, and progress tracking that can connect to your Fitbit device through the Google Health API. IGNITE is provided for use within the IGNITE research study and is not a general-purpose consumer or medical product.

3. Research participation

IGNITE is part of a research study reviewed by an Institutional Review Board (IRB) and funded by the National Institute on Aging (NIA) of the NIH. Your participation is voluntary. You may stop using IGNITE or withdraw from the study at any time without penalty and without affecting any care or benefits you are otherwise entitled to. The terms and protections of your study participation are described in your informed consent documents.

4. Eligibility

IGNITE is available only to individuals who have enrolled in the IGNITE study, met the study’s eligibility criteria, and provided informed consent. The study generally enrolls racial and ethnic minority adults ages 50–74. You must be at least 18 years old. You agree that any information you provide during enrollment and use is accurate.

5. Your account and connected devices

You are responsible for keeping your login credentials and study devices secure and for activity that occurs under your account. If you choose to connect your Fitbit device, you authorize IGNITE to access the specific Google Health API data described in our Privacy Policy. Connecting a device is optional, and you can disconnect it at any time. Please notify us promptly of any unauthorized use of your account.

6. Acceptable use

You agree to use IGNITE only for its intended study purpose. You agree not to:

• Use the app for any unlawful purpose or in violation of these Terms;
• Attempt to access accounts, data, or systems that are not yours;
• Interfere with, disrupt, reverse-engineer, or attempt to bypass the security of the app;
• Share your access with others or impersonate another person;
• Upload malicious code or use the app in any way that could harm the study, other participants, or our systems.

7. Medical and emergency disclaimer

8. Privacy

Your use of IGNITE is also governed by our Privacy Policy, which explains what we collect, how we use and protect it, who we share it with, and how to delete it or revoke access. The use of information received from Google Health API and/or Developer Tools will adhere to the Google Health API Developer and User Data Policy, including the Limited Use requirements.

9. Study devices

As part of the IGNITE study, you receive the following devices at no cost: an iPad, a Fitbit Inspire 3 activity tracker, and a Withings wireless weight scale. As described in your informed consent, these devices are yours to keep after you complete your final study data collection at the end of the one-year participation period. You agree to use the devices in accordance with their manufacturer instructions and these Terms.

10. Intellectual property

IGNITE, including its content, software, coaching materials, and design, is owned by UIC and/or its licensors and is protected by intellectual-property laws. We grant you a limited, personal, non-transferable, revocable license to use IGNITE for your participation in the study. You may not copy, modify, distribute, sell, or create derivative works from any part of the app except as expressly permitted.

11. Withdrawal and termination

You may stop using IGNITE or withdraw from the study at any time. We may suspend or end your access if you violate these Terms, if your study participation ends, or if the study concludes. On termination, your right to use IGNITE ends; data handling after termination is described in our Privacy Policy.

12. Disclaimers

IGNITE is provided on an “as is” and “as available” basis as part of a research study. To the fullest extent permitted by law, we disclaim all warranties, express or implied, including warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, and non-infringement. We do not warrant that the app will be uninterrupted, error-free, or fully secure.

13. Limitation of liability

To the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, and except as otherwise provided in your informed consent documents or required by law, UIC and the study team will not be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, or consequential damages arising from your use of IGNITE. Nothing in these Terms limits any rights or protections you have as a research participant under your informed consent or applicable law.

14. Governing law

These Terms are governed by the laws of the State of Illinois and applicable U.S. federal law, without regard to conflict-of-laws principles, and subject to the immunities and limitations applicable to a State of Illinois public university.

15. Changes to these Terms

We may update these Terms from time to time. When we make material changes, we will update the “Last updated” date and, where appropriate, notify participants. Your continued use of IGNITE after an update means you accept the revised Terms.

16. Contact us