Patients Really Are Using FHIR APIs – And We’re Seeing the Impact

It’s pretty clear to almost anyone you ask: There is a lot of value in giving patients the power to access and share their own health data. What’s more debatable, however, is if given the chance, would patients take advantage of the technology to do so?

At 1upHealth, we can say emphatically yes. We’re seeing a sizable increase in patients using FHIR APIs to take control of their clinical and claims data. 

In fact, May 2025 was a record-breaking month for 1up Patient Connect, our solution which allows patients to grant third parties – like digital health apps and clinical research organizations – secure, real-time access to clinical and claims data through FHIR APIs. This increase was driven by new customers going live on our platform and a groundbreaking real-world evidence (RWE) study led by our customer Evidation.

Real-World Impact: Evidation’s BODEE-Weight Study

Over a period of just three weeks, nearly 500 individuals completed a study looking at the effectiveness of GLP-1 medications. Using 1up Patient Connect, Evidation enabled participants to link their clinical EHR data from over 250 different health systems. That data was then integrated with survey responses and wearable device data, creating a comprehensive dataset for research, development, and commercialization.

According to Evidation, “The BODEE-Weight study demonstrated what’s possible when real-world data is collected from direct, ongoing relationships with individuals. It showed that self-reported experiences, wearable data, and clinical records can be rapidly integrated to create a richly contextualized dataset – assembled in weeks, and built to reflect how people engage with therapies in everyday life.”

This is the future in motion: real patients, using real APIs, to connect real data for real insights. And 1upHealth is proud to provide the solution to make this easy.

Why Accessing Clinical and Claims Data Matters

Access to clinical and claims data is foundational in today’s healthcare ecosystem. Whether you’re a patient, caregiver, researcher, payer, or provider, the ability to obtain and use healthcare data has far-reaching benefits:

• Patients and caregivers want to understand their health and make informed decisions
• Researchers need real-world evidence, driven by diverse and timely datasets
• Payers and providers rely on comprehensive data to deliver efficient, cost-effective care

Traditionally, this data was hard to get, requiring manual requests, paperwork, and long wait times. But with modern, FHIR-based APIs and patient-mediated workflows, individuals can now authorize the sharing of their own data securely and with just a few clicks.

1up Patient Connect Makes Patient-Mediated Data Access a Reality

Powered by the 21st Century Cures Act, 1up Patient Connect makes patient-mediated access a reality. Organizations can retrieve clinical and claims data in a unified, developer-friendly environment – supporting a wide variety of use cases.

Here’s what makes it possible:

• Connection to EHRs and payer systems that cover over 270,000,000 patients and over 850,000 providers
• Full sandbox and production access to connected EHRs and health plans
• Out-of-the-box API bundles for patient data access
• Support for refresh tokens with EHRs like Epic and Cerner
• Robust technical documentation for fast and easy integration

Whether you’re building a digital health app, leading clinical research, or providing second opinion services, you can easily access the data you need with 1up Patient Connect.

The Value 1up Patient Connect Delivers to Patients

With FHIR-based patient data access, organizations are seeing real results:

• Better care decisions: Patients can share data with caregivers, second-opinion providers, or digital health tools.
• Improved safety: More complete data prevents medical errors and duplicate procedures.
• More empowerment: Patients take an active role in managing their health and see improved results.
• True control: Patients can consolidate and share records, no matter where care was delivered.

Patients Are Using FHIR APIs for Data Access and Exchange

The future of healthcare data access isn’t on the horizon, it’s already here. Patients see the value in sharing their data with third parties – to improve their care, to take part in clinical research, and for other activities that bring them value. 

If your organization is ready to give patients control, unlock insights, and drive better care, let’s talk. The momentum is real, and we’d love to help you be a part of it.