§ 130A-373. Authority and duties.
§130A‑373. Authority and duties.
(a) The State Centerfor Health Statistics is authorized to:
(1) Collect, maintainand analyze health data on:
a. The extent, natureand impact of illness and disability on the population of the State;
b. The determinants ofhealth and health hazards;
c. Health resources,including the extent of available work power and resources;
d. Utilization ofhealth care;
e. Health care costsand financing; and
f. Other health orhealth‑related matters; and
(2) Undertake andsupport research, demonstrations and evaluations respecting new or improvedmethods for obtaining data.
(b) The State Centerfor Health Statistics may collect health data on behalf of other governmentalor nonprofit organizations.
(c) The State Centerfor Health Statistics shall collect data only on a voluntary basis except whenthere is specific legal authority to compel mandatory reporting of the healthdata. In collecting health data on a voluntary basis, the State Center forHealth Statistics shall give the person a statement in writing:
(1) That the data isbeing collected on a voluntary basis and that the person is not required torespond; and
(2) The purposes forwhich the health data is being collected.
(d) Subject to theprovisions of G.S. 130A‑374, the State Center for Health Statistics mayshare health data with other persons, agencies and organizations.
(e) The State Centerfor Health Statistics shall:
(1) Take necessaryaction to assure that statistics developed under this Article are of highquality, timely and comprehensive, as well as specific and adequately analyzedand indexed; and
(2) Publish, makeavailable and disseminate statistics on as wide a basis as practical.
(f) The State Centerfor Health Statistics shall coordinate health data activities within the Statein order to eliminate unnecessary duplication of data collection and tomaximize the usefulness of data collected by:
(1) Participating withState and local agencies in the design and implementation of a cooperativesystem for producing comparable and uniform health information and statisticsat the State and local levels; and
(2) Undertaking andsupporting research, development, demonstration and evaluation respecting thecooperative system. (1983, c. 891, s. 2).