Hospitals demand better security for patient record sharing

More than 60 health systems sent a letter demanding that leaders of a national health record exchange and federal health IT regulators take action to prevent "bad actors" from accessing health records. The effort, which was coordinated by health policy workgroup of hospitals that use Epic's medical record software, follows a lawsui t by the vendor alleging thousands of records were improperly accessed.

The letter also comes amid a significant push from the government to remove barriers to the transfer of medical records for legitimate purposes.

The letter was addressed to TEFCA CEO Mariann Yeager and copied to Steven Posnack, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Technology Policy. Hospitals that signed include Advent Health, Sutter Health, NYU Langone Health, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, St. Luke's Health System, and Sharp HealthCare.

research

Using AI to help spot cognitive decline

Researchers are exploring different methods for using artificial intelligence to help identify people with early signs of cognitive decline. Casey Ross reports on efforts out of Mass General Brigham and Cleveland Clinic. At the former, researchers tested a team of AI agents that helped develop prompts for a generative AI system to go hunt for anything in a patient's health records that might suggest decline. At Cleveland Clinic, researchers developed a model that predicts patients that have elevated risk of developing a neurologic condition from information in the medical record.

medical devices

Executives indicted in battery replacement scheme

Former executives of Zynex Medical, a seller of pain management devices, were indicted for alleged health care fraud, Lizzy Lawrence reports.

In 2024, Lizzy reported on Zynex's practice of inundating pain patients with batteries they don't need, and then surprising them with bills their insurers refused to pay. Six patients said they received far more supplies than necessary. U.S. prosecutors say that former CEO Thomas Sandgaard and COO Anna Lucsok helped Zynex collect more than $873 million for its products, including $600 million for supplies.

Health tech news roundup

NOCD, a virtual provider of treatment for obsessive compulsive disorder, announced that it acquired Rebound Health, a provider focused on trauma disorders. NOCD and Rebound will now operate as brands under a parent entity, Noto. CEO Stephen Smith told me the company is operating at "about break even" and that it was cash flow positive for one quarter last year.
SimonMed, which operates more than 170 outpatient imaging centers, announced the launch of SimonMed Longevity, a new brand focused on preventive care and screening.
Salvo Health, a startup focused on GI and metabolic care, announced an $8.5 million Series A round led by ManchesterStory, City Light Capital, and Threshold Ventures.

More around STAT

Check out more exclusive coverage with a STAT+ subscription

Read premium in-depth biotech, pharma, policy, and life science coverage and analysis with all of our STAT+ articles.

What we're reading

Government by AI? Trump Administration plans to write regulations using artificial intelligence, ProPublica
He blew the whistle on Amazon's growing legion of robots. He didn't expect what happened next, Hard Reset
I let ChatGPT analyze a decade of my Apple Watch data. Then I called my doctor, Washington Post
9 influencers shaping health information online, for better or worse, STAT