Health networks are maturing fast, shifting from legislation to regulation and now into full-blown litigation. With federal leaders declaring that “the days of information blocking are over,” organizations are being forced to confront the risks of data silos, inconsistent enforcement, and mounting legal pressure.

At the core of nationwide data exchange lies an uncomfortable truth: patient matching is both essential and deeply flawed. To avoid HIPAA violations, organizations set matching thresholds so high that critical “close matches” are often lost—sacrificing data completeness for legal safety. Without regulatory relief or a safe harbor, true interoperability will remain out of reach.

Patient access is finally a government priority, but most patients still can’t easily get their data. Here’s what’s holding them back and how forward-thinking organizations are changing that.

Health data exchange in the U.S. just reached a turning point. With athenahealth now fully live on TEFCA, the federal framework for nationwide interoperability, tens of thousands of providers, including Epic-connected hospitals, can share patient records seamlessly and securely. This milestone signals the start of a new era in healthcare, where accurate, real-time data follows patients wherever they go.

Need medical records fast? National networks power over 1.2 billion document exchanges each month, but many teams still struggle to access them efficiently. Learn how to tap into these trusted networks instantly with GetPatientRecords— integrations, no portals, no delays.