Dozens of hospitals demand better security for patient record sharing

Over 60 well being techniques have despatched a letter to officers operating nationwide well being report exchanges, asking them to take motion to stop “unhealthy actors” from accessing sufferers’ well being data. The letter follows a lawsuit final week from digital well being report firm Epic, which outlined the actions of a number of such alleged “unhealthy actors” in its criticism.

The letter was despatched to Mariann Yeager, whose group The Sequoia Venture runs a non-public well being trade framework referred to as Carequality. It was additionally despatched to Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Expertise Coverage Steve Posnack, who oversees TEFCA as a part of the nation’s well being IT workplace. As CEO of The Sequoia Venture, Yeager can be accountable for the operation of TEFCA, which Sequoia runs underneath a contract with the federal government.

Due to the way in which the frameworks and well being privateness and trade legal guidelines are arrange, anybody who claims to be a well being care supplier is allowed to affix the community of well being care suppliers who share affected person’s digital information and is allowed to request and obtain them. This permits organizations who pose as suppliers to doubtlessly receive delicate well being information they don’t have a authorized proper to see. That subject is on the middle of the latest Epic lawsuit towards Well being Gorilla, one of many organizations that may onboard new members onto the trade community.