Particle Health announced that the majority of its customers are still able to access records from Epic Systems despite an ongoing dispute between the two companies regarding data-sharing practices.
Epic Systems, a medical software giant, supports over 300 million patient records, while Particle Health acts as a middleman to help healthcare organizations obtain the necessary data. Both companies are part of an interoperability network called Carequality, which facilitates the exchange of patient information on a large scale.
In response to concerns raised by Epic, the company filed a formal dispute claiming that Particle and its participant organizations may be misrepresenting the purpose of their record retrievals. Organizations must be approved and adhere to “Permitted Purposes” to join the Carequality network for the exchange of patient records.
Patient data is safeguarded by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), requiring consent or knowledge from the patient for third-party access.
Despite the ongoing dispute, Particle stated that most of its customers were not affected by Epic’s decision to cease data requests. The company is working to have connections restored for impacted clients.
Particle CEO Jason Prestinario mentioned that the company will address the dispute with Epic through official channels. Epic has not responded to CNBC’s request for comment.
Additionally, Particle reaffirmed its commitment to ongoing connectivity with Epic Systems through a press release.
Particle Health, a company that helps healthcare organizations access patient data from Epic Systems, is currently embroiled in a dispute with Epic over data-sharing practices. Despite this ongoing disagreement, Particle stated that the “vast majority” of its customers are still receiving records from Epic. Epic, a medical software giant, supports over 300 million patient records, and Particle acts as a middleman to facilitate access to this data. Both companies are members of the Carequality interoperability network, which enables the exchange of patient information on a large scale.
On March 21, Epic filed a formal dispute with Carequality, expressing concerns that Particle and its participant organizations may be misrepresenting the purpose of their record retrieval. Organizations must be approved and adhere to “Permitted Purposes,” typically related to treatment, to join the Carequality network. Patient data is protected by HIPAA, which requires patient consent or knowledge for third-party access.
Particle stated in a release that, despite Epic ceasing responses to data requests from some customers due to the dispute, the majority of clients were not affected. The company has been working to restore connections to impacted customers, with many already back to normal. While there is an ongoing dispute between Epic and Particle Health regarding three specific customers, most Particle Health customers impacted by Epic’s actions were not related to this dispute.
Particle CEO Jason Prestinario mentioned that the company will address the dispute with Epic through formal procedural channels. Epic did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The situation has caused some volatility in insurer stocks due to concerns over Medicare rates.
In conclusion, Particle Health and Epic Systems’ dispute has raised questions about data-sharing practices and compliance with regulations like HIPAA. The resolution of this conflict will have implications for the wider healthcare industry and the ability of organizations to access and exchange patient data efficiently and securely.
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