39-1392d. PROPERTY OF HEALTH CARE ORGANIZATION. All peer review records of a health care organization shall be the property of the health care organization concerned which obtains or compiles the same. A health care organization may provide peer review records to persons or entities that perform accreditation, certification or quality assurance review or evaluation of the health care organization. The provision of any peer review records to such persons or entities shall not be deemed to be a waiver by the health care organization of any peer review privilege. Persons and entities receiving peer review records shall preserve the confidential privileged character thereof and such persons and entities shall not be subject to subpoena or order compelling production of peer review records. Nothing in this section shall be deemed to require the health care organization to provide persons or entities with peer review records. A health care organization may provide peer review records to persons or entities with whom the health care organization is affiliated through any common ownership interest or by contract, which affiliation or contract includes the person’s or entity’s involvement in the peer review process or the provision of any management or administrative services to the health care organization. The provision of peer review records to such persons or entities shall not be deemed to be a waiver by the health care organization of any peer review privilege. Such persons and entities receiving peer review records shall preserve the confidential privileged character thereof, and such persons and entities shall not be subject to any subpoena or order compelling production of peer review records. Nothing in this section shall be deemed to require the health care organization to provide such persons or entities with peer review records. This section shall in no way impair the rights of individuals conducting such research or studies in the exercise of any right or the discharge of any legitimate responsibility which they may have in connection with such research or studies and the results thereof. Nothing in this act shall be construed as restricting or altering the rights of inspection and copying by patients and their duly authorized representatives with respect to such patients’ official patient care records, which right of copying and inspection and use of patient care records and their contents in appropriate judicial proceedings is unaltered by this enactment.

History:

[39-1392d, added 1973, ch. 265, sec. 5, p. 545; am. 1997, ch. 171, sec. 5, p. 488; am. 2003, ch. 244, sec. 4, p. 631.]