The U.S. Federal Trade Commission has issued inquiries to health technology firms to evaluate whether Epic Systems limits innovation by restricting lawful access to patient data. The issue matters for AI and analytics in healthcare, which rely on broad, trustworthy access to clinical records, interoperable interfaces, and secure data-sharing to train models and power decision-support tools. Regulators worry that restricted access could hamper startup development and hospital adoption of AI-driven diagnostics and workflows, potentially constraining competition in a rapidly digitizing market.
Epic Systems has pushed back, disputing any claims that it stifles competition. The company says it supports data sharing within privacy and security rules and remains committed to interoperability with outside technologies and vendors. The FTC inquiries follow Reuters reporting on potential probes into how data access practices could affect innovation, and Epic pledged cooperation while it awaits further guidance from regulators.
