Carequality Resolves Dispute Between Particle Health and Epic

What You Should Know: 

– Carequality, a non-profit interoperability framework, has successfully resolved a dispute between two of its members, Particle Health and Epic. 

– The resolution underscores the strength of Carequality’s framework and the community’s dedication to upholding trust and responsible data-sharing practices.

Epic-Particle Dispute Resolution Process

The dispute, which centered around allegations of improper data access and exchange practices, underwent a thorough review by a panel of Carequality community members and external experts. Both Particle Health and Epic presented their claims with supporting documentation, ensuring a fair and balanced evaluation.

Key Findings and Resolutions

The panel’s recommendations, adopted by the Carequality Steering Committee, addressed several key issues:

• Improper Data Queries: Two Particle Health customers were found to be submitting queries for purposes other than treatment, potentially violating Carequality guidelines. These entities are now prohibited from participating in Carequality for 12 months.
• Data Access Justification: Particle Health agreed to obtain additional documentation from another customer to confirm the legitimacy of their data access requests for treatment purposes.
• Onboarding Diligence: While Particle Health conducted due diligence during customer onboarding, it failed to uncover inaccuracies in the information provided. Particle Health has agreed to a corrective action plan to strengthen its onboarding processes.
• Technical Interpretation: A claim by Epic regarding Particle Health’s technical implementation was resolved, providing clarity on specific technical requirements for all participants.
• Anti-Discrimination Compliance: Epic agreed to update its policies and provide transparency regarding its criteria for engaging in data exchange with other Carequality participants, ensuring compliance with anti-discrimination rules.

Strengthening the Framework

This dispute resolution process has provided valuable insights for the Carequality community. To further enhance its framework, Carequality is taking proactive steps:

• Process Improvement: The community will conduct a retrospective review of the dispute resolution process to identify areas for improvement.
• Compliance Monitoring: New compliance monitoring and auditing processes will be implemented to proactively identify potential issues and enhance the Carequality Directory.