§ 135-C:63-a — Proceedings of Quality Assurance Program; Confidentiality

New Hampshire § 135-C:63-a

• Jurisdiction: New Hampshire
• Title X: PUBLIC HEALTH
• Ch. 135-C: NEW HAMPSHIRE MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES SYSTEM
• Subdivision: Miscellaneous

Text

I. As used in this section:
(a) "Records" means records of interviews, internal reviews and investigations, and all reports, statements, minutes, memoranda, charts, statistics, and other documentation generated during the activities of a quality assurance program. Records shall not mean original medical records or other records kept relative to any patient in the course of the business of operating a community mental health program.
(b) "Quality assurance program" means a comprehensive, on-going, organization-wide system of mechanisms for monitoring and evaluating the quality and appropriateness of the care provided, so that important problems and trends in the delivery of care are identified and that steps are taken to correct problems and to take advantage of opportunities to improve care.
II. Except as provided under RSA 135-C:5, II, records of a community mental health program's quality assurance program, including those of its functional components and committees as defined by the organization's quality assurance plans, organized to evaluate matters relating to the care and treatment of patients and to improve the quality of care provided and testimony by members on the board of directors of the community mental health program, medical and clinical staff, employees, or other committee attendees relating to activities of the quality assurance program 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 community mental health program, its quality assurance program, or its board of directors to revoke or restrict the license or certification of a staff member; or
(b) A proceeding alleging repetitive malicious action and personal injury brought against a staff member.
III. A community mental health program board of directors or trustees may waive its privilege under this section and release information or present records of the quality assurance program by discovery, subpoena, or admission into evidence in any judicial or administrative proceeding.
IV. No directors, trustees, medical or clinical staff, employees, or other attendees of the quality assurance program shall be held liable in any action for damages or other relief arising from the providing of information to a quality assurance program or in any judicial or administrative proceeding.

Legislative History

1991, 315:1. 2002, 221:5, eff. Jan. 1, 2003.