US health regulators withdraw rules meant to make patient data easier to share

US health regulators have withdrawn a set of proposed rules that would have made it easier for patients to share their health data. This means the existing, more restrictive rules for sharing patient information will remain in place.

The US government has been trying to make health data more accessible for years, but this withdrawal signals a pause in that effort. The rules would have pushed hospitals and tech companies to adopt common standards, making it simpler for patients to move their records between providers or share them with third-party apps. Without these updates, patients will continue to face hurdles in accessing and controlling their own health information.