Section 151:13-a Proceedings of Hospital Committees; Confidentiality.
I. As used in this section ""records'' means records of interviews and all reports, statements, minutes, memoranda, charts, statistics, and other documentation generated during the activities of a quality assurance committee. Records shall not mean original hospital medical records or other records kept relative to any patient in the course of the business of operating a hospital.
II. Records of a hospital committee organized to evaluate matters relating to the care and treatment of patients or to reduce morbidity and mortality and testimony by hospital trustees, medical staff, employees, or other committee attendees relating to activities of the quality assurance committee shall be confidential and privileged and shall be protected from direct or indirect means of discovery, subpoena, or admission into evidence in any judicial or administrative proceeding. However, information, documents, or records otherwise available from original sources are not to be construed as immune from discovery or use in any such civil or administrative action merely because they were presented to a quality assurance program, and any person who supplies information or testifies as part of a quality assurance program, or who is a member of a quality assurance program committee, may not be prevented from testifying as to matters within his or her knowledge, but such witness may not be asked about his or her testimony before such program, or opinions formed by him or her, as a result of committee participation. Further, a program's records shall be discoverable in either of the following cases:
(a) A judicial or administrative proceeding brought by a quality assurance committee to revoke or restrict the license, certification, or privileges of a physician or hospital staff member; or
(b) A proceeding alleging repetitive malicious action and personal injury brought against a physician or hospital staff member.
III. A hospital board of directors or trustees may waive its privilege under this section and release information or present committee records by discovery, subpoena, or admission into evidence in any judicial or administrative proceeding.
IV. No hospital, trustees, medical staff, employees, or other committee attendees shall be held liable in any action for damages or other relief arising from the providing of information to a hospital committee or in any judicial or administrative proceeding.
Source. 1981, 463:1. 2002, 221:1, eff. Jan. 1, 2003.