Biotech
Monday, April 15th, 2024 3:43 pm EDT
Key Points
- Epic Systems accuses Particle Health of unauthorized and unethical use of patient data, prompting Epic to sever its connection with Particle, affecting access to over 300 million patient records.
- Patient data, protected by HIPAA, is accessed through an interoperability network called Carequality, with Epic responding to requests for data under the “Treatment” purpose.
- Epic filed a formal dispute with Carequality, suspecting misrepresentation by Particle and its participants, alleging potential security and privacy risks, including HIPAA violations. Anomalies in record exchange patterns led Epic to suspect a “non-treatment use case,” prompting further investigation and dispute filings.
Epic Systems, a major provider of medical records software, has severed its connection with Particle Health, a startup accused of using patient data in unauthorized and unethical ways unrelated to treatment. This action, outlined in a notice to customers, disrupts Particle’s access to over 300 million patient records, as Particle serves as a middleman between Epic and healthcare organizations. Patient data, protected by federal law, requires consent for third-party access. Epic accessed data through Carequality, a network facilitating document exchange, for treatment purposes. Concerned about potential HIPAA violations, Epic filed a dispute, alleging misrepresentation by Particle and its participant organizations. Red flags, like unusual record exchange patterns and lack of data return, suggested non-treatment use cases. Epic disputed certain organizations’ claims of treatment use, suspecting data misuse, such as identifying class action lawsuit participants. Despite these claims, Particle denies wrongdoing, maintaining that its partners support treatment purposes. The ongoing dispute is unprecedented in Carequality’s history, reflecting the importance of responsible data use and maintaining trust in healthcare exchanges.
For the full original article in paragraph form, please click here: https://www.cnbc.com/2024/04/12/epic-systems-boots-particle-health-for-unauthorized-sharing-of-data-.html
