Athenahealth, which serves over 20% of the US population, has released an MCP-compatible server called AthenaPatient MCP that lets Anthropic's Claude access patient health records after users sign in with their account credentials. The feature is limited to subscribers of Claude Pro ($20/month) and Claude Max ($100/month), and patients can choose which data to share and revoke access at any time. Claude can draw on lab results, vitals, medications, allergies, immunizations and other records to answer questions, but Athenahealth says the tool does not provide medical advice.
zdnet.com
· 2026-11-02
Future of Cancer Care Today has introduced a single standing authorization form that US patients can use to request or direct release of their medical records, imaging files, lab and genomic data, and available tissue to recipients of their choice. The form specifies the patient's information, any personal representative's authority, and the releasing institutions, and covers materials including pathology slides, tissue blocks, blood, plasma and bone marrow samples across all dates of treatment. The organization is inviting patients and data-holding institutions to use the form and provide feedback.
sijbrandijfoundation.org
· 2026-10-15
WSJ readers shared mixed reactions to patient portals, the online systems that give patients direct access to their medical records, test results and doctor communications. Supporters praised the convenience of having health information readily available, while critics said the same immediate access can cause confusion, anxiety or information overload.
wsj.com
· 2026-09-17
Doctors across the US are spending significant portions of short office visits piecing together patients' medical histories because electronic health records fail to consolidate data from hospitals, specialists, and rehab facilities. This administrative burden of chasing incomplete records and outdated medication lists is cited as a major driver of physician fatigue and burnout.
fastcompany.com
· 2026-09-14
Industry analysis argues that healthcare's administrative problems stem from fragmented information, workflows and accountability across disconnected systems like EHRs, billing platforms and payer portals, rather than a shortage of data. The revenue cycle—covering scheduling, coding, billing and payer follow-up—is identified as an ideal proving ground for AI because it combines high transaction volume, complex reasoning needs and measurable outcomes, but traditional rule-based automation struggles due to constantly shifting payer rules and frequent exceptions.
technologyreview.com
· 2026-09-10
Veradigm, the Chicago-based healthcare technology firm formerly known as Allscripts, disclosed in an SEC filing that an attacker used stolen credentials from a third-party vendor to access a customer-service API and copy patient data. The exposed information includes personal details and Social Security numbers for a limited number of patients, though clinical records were not accessed. The Gentlemen ransomware group has claimed responsibility for the attack.
bleepingcomputer.com
· 2026-09-09
A new American Heart Association study found that chronic insomniacs who took melatonin supplements for a year or longer were about 90 percent more likely to develop congestive heart failure within five years than non-users. Researchers also found melatonin users were nearly 3.5 times more likely to be hospitalized for heart failure, based on analysis of anonymized health records rather than a controlled clinical trial.
futurism.com
· 2026-09-05
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