50-16-201. Definitions. As used in this part, the following definitions apply:

(1) (a) "Data" means written reports, notes, or records or oral reports or proceedings created by or at the request of a utilization review, peer review, medical ethics review, quality assurance, or quality improvement committee of a health care facility that may be shared with a medical practitioner, including the medical practitioner being reviewed, and that are used exclusively in connection with quality assessment or improvement activities, including the professional training, supervision, or discipline of a medical practitioner by a health care facility. The term includes all subsequent evaluations and analysis of an untoward event, including any opinions or conclusions of a reviewer.

(b) The term does not include:

(i) incident reports or occurrence reports; or

(ii) health care information that is used in whole or in part to make decisions about an individual who is the subject of the health care information.

(2) "Health care facility" has the meaning provided in 50-5-101.

(3) (a) "Incident report" or "occurrence report" means a written business record of a health care facility that:

(i) may be but is not required to be created by the staff involved in response to an untoward event, such as a patient injury, adverse outcome, or interventional error, for the purpose of ensuring a prompt evaluation of the event; and

(ii) is a factual rendition of the event.

(b) The terms do not include any subsequent evaluation of the event created by or at the request of a utilization review, peer review, medical ethics review, quality assurance, or quality improvement committee, regardless of whether or not the subsequent evaluation of the event occurred in response to an incident report or occurrence report. The creation of an incident report or occurrence report is not a condition precedent for a subsequent evaluation of an event, and any subsequent evaluation of an event remains privileged and confidential pursuant to this part, regardless of the creation of an incident report or occurrence report.

(4) "Medical practitioner" means an individual licensed by the state of Montana to engage in the practice of medicine, osteopathy, podiatry, optometry, or a nursing specialty described in 37-8-202 or licensed as a physician assistant pursuant to 37-20-203.

History: En. Sec. 4, Ch. 104, L. 1969; R.C.M. 1947, 69-6304; amd. Sec. 1, Ch. 359, L. 2001; amd. Sec. 5, Ch. 396, L. 2003; amd. Sec. 124, Ch. 467, L. 2005; amd. Sec. 25, Ch. 519, L. 2005; amd. Sec. 2, Ch. 265, L. 2013.