§22-11C-7. Confidentiality; disclosure of information.

(a) All information reported pursuant to this chapter shall be confidential and privileged.

(b) The State Health Officer shall take strict measures to ensure that all identifying information is kept confidential, except as otherwise provided in this chapter.

(c) Head and spinal cord injury information may be provided to researchers or research institutions, or both, in connection with head and/or spinal cord injury morbidity and mortality studies upon appropriate review by the State Health Officer. All identifying information regarding an individual patient, health care provider, or health care facility contained in records of interviews, written reports, and statements procured by the State Health Officer or by any other person, agency, or organization acting jointly with the State Health Officer in connection with these studies shall be confidential and privileged and shall be used solely for the purposes of the study. Nothing in this chapter shall prevent the State Health Officer from publishing statistical compilations relating to morbidity and mortality studies which do not identify individual cases or sources of information.

(d) Information collected under this chapter is not subject to disclosure under Section 36-12-40.

(Act 98-611, p. 1343, §7.)