A cluster of clouds illustrated by 0s and 1s floats over a cityscape also illustrated by 0s and 1s. Numbers float up towards the clouds, representing medical data.
Adobe

Epic Systems is no stranger to the courtroom. The nation’s largest vendor of electronic health records has fought, and won, legal fights with rivals large and small for many decades.

But a new antitrust lawsuit filed this week by Particle Health, an upstart health data company, presents an especially direct threat to Epic’s dominance in the multibillion-dollar market surrounding patient data, legal and health policy experts told STAT.

advertisement

“It represents what I predict will be a growth area for litigation: battles between the data ‘haves’ and the ‘have-nots,’” said Michelle Mello, a professor of law and health policy at Stanford University. She said Epic’s control of patient data has allowed it to expand and create new product lines, but it has also enabled it to build a moat that rivals say is unfair and anti-competitive.  

STAT+ Exclusive Story

STAT+

This article is exclusive to STAT+ subscribers

Unlock this article — and get additional analysis of the technologies disrupting health care — by subscribing to STAT+.

Already have an account? Log in

Monthly

$39

Totals $468 per year

$39/month Get Started

Totals $468 per year

Starter

$30

for 3 months, then $399/year

$30 for 3 months Get Started

Then $399/year

Annual

$399

Save 15%

$399/year Get Started

Save 15%

11+ Users

Custom

Savings start at 25%!

Request A Quote Request A Quote

Savings start at 25%!

2-10 Users

$300

Annually per user

$300/year Get Started

$300 Annually per user

View All Plans

To read the rest of this story subscribe to STAT+.

Subscribe