Six thousand patient records have been compromised in Wisconsin due to a data breach, according to Epic Systems, a health technology company based in Verona. They’ve identified a group of health information companies that allegedly accessed and sold these records without patient consent.
Epic, along with four other health organizations, filed a lawsuit on January 13 in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California. They claim that a health information network called Health Gorilla allowed “organized syndicates” to access nearly 300,000 patient records. This access happened without anyone knowing, which raises serious ethical concerns.
The lawsuit doesn’t specify the affected patients but highlights how technologies like Epic’s MyChart allow residents of Madison to access their healthcare information securely. Generally, these systems let patients schedule appointments, pay bills, and communicate with their providers.
The complaint argues that these companies exploited health data exchange systems to monetize patient records by selling them to lawyers scouting for clients for potential lawsuits. It emphasizes that such practices undermine patient trust and privacy. One troubling aspect includes that some organizations reportedly inserted false information into medical records, risking patient safety and wasting healthcare providers’ time.
Epic asserts that this undermines the very purpose of health data interoperability, which is supposed to enable seamless communication of essential medical information between different healthcare entities. For instance, emergency room doctors rely on these records to treat unfamiliar patients quickly and effectively.
The lawsuit seeks to hold these companies accountable, demanding they return any profits made from these activities and permanently halt their access to patient data. Epic’s actions come after they raised concerns with Health Gorilla in October about its practices.
In response, Health Gorilla has denied the allegations, suggesting that Epic’s lawsuit mirrors a broader concern regarding monopolistic behaviors in the health information sector. They warned that such actions could hinder competition and access to crucial healthcare data.
This issue is particularly relevant today. A recent report from the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology indicated that 45% of Americans are unaware of how their medical records are shared. This data gap highlights the need for clearer regulations and stronger protections for patient information.
As healthcare evolves, discussions around data privacy are likely to intensify. Legislation may be necessary to ensure that patient records remain confidential and secure.
For more insights into healthcare data practices, you can refer to the ONC’s report on health information sharing.
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