Health records giant Epic cracks down on startup for unauthorized sharing of patient data

Epic Systems has terminated data access for startup Particle Health, citing misuse of patient data for unauthorized purposes beyond treatment, raising concerns over potential HIPAA violations. As the largest Electronic Health Record (EHR) provider in the U.S., Epic's move impacts Particle's access to a vast network of over 300 million patient records. Particle, accused of sharing sensitive data with third parties not involved in patient care, was disconnected from Epic’s interoperability network, Carequality, which facilitates extensive health document exchanges. Both companies have expressed their positions, with Particle addressing the issue and emphasizing the complexity in defining 'treatment' purposes in today’s evolving healthcare landscape. Epic's decision underlines the critical importance of data privacy and the adherence to stringent purposes outlined in patient data exchange agreements.

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