70.56.050 - Confidentiality of notifications and reports.

Confidentiality of notifications and reports.

(1)(a) When notification of an adverse event under RCW 70.56.020(2)(a) or of an incident under RCW 70.56.040(5), or a report regarding an adverse event under RCW 70.56.020(2)(b) is made by or through a coordinated quality improvement program under RCW 43.70.510 or 70.41.200, or by a peer review committee under RCW 4.24.250, information and documents, including complaints and incident reports, created specifically for and collected and maintained by a quality improvement committee for the purpose of preparing a notification of an adverse event or incident or a report regarding an adverse event, the report itself, and the notification of an incident, shall be subject to the confidentiality protections of those laws and RCW 42.56.360(1)(c).

     (b) The notification of an adverse event under RCW 70.56.020(2)(a), shall be subject to public disclosure and not exempt from disclosure under chapter 42.56 RCW. Any public disclosure of an adverse event notification must include any contextual information the medical facility chose to provide under RCW 70.56.020(2)(a).

     (2)(a) When notification of an adverse event under RCW 70.56.020(2)(a) or of an incident under RCW 70.56.040(5), or a report regarding an adverse event under RCW 70.56.020(2)(b), made by a health care worker uses information and documents, including complaints and incident reports, created specifically for and collected and maintained by a quality improvement committee under RCW 43.70.510 or 70.41.200 or a peer review committee under RCW 4.24.250, a notification of an incident, the report itself, and the information or documents used for the purpose of preparing notifications or the report, shall be subject to the confidentiality protections of those laws and RCW 42.56.360(1)(c).

     (b) The notification of an adverse event under RCW 70.56.020(2)(a) shall be subject to public disclosure and not exempt from disclosure under chapter 42.56 RCW. Any public disclosure of an adverse event notification must include any contextual information the medical facility chose to provide under RCW 70.56.020(2)(a).

[2008 c 136 § 3; 2006 c 8 § 110.]