146.817 Preservation of fetal monitor tracings and microfilm copies.

(1) In this section, “fetal monitor tracing" means documentation of the heart tones of a fetus during labor and delivery of the mother of the fetus that are recorded from an electronic fetal monitor machine.

(2)

(a) Unless a health care provider has first made and preserved a microfilm copy of a patient's fetal monitor tracing, the health care provider may delete or destroy part or all of the patient's fetal monitor tracing only if 35 days prior to the deletion or destruction the health care provider provides written notice to the patient.

(b) If a health care provider has made and preserved a microfilm copy of a patient's fetal monitor tracing and if the health care provider has deleted or destroyed part or all of the patient's fetal monitor tracing, the health care provider may delete or destroy part or all of the microfilm copy of the patient's fetal monitor tracing only if 35 days prior to the deletion or destruction the health care provider provides written notice to the patient.

(c) The notice specified in pars. (a) and (b) shall be sent to the patient's last-known address and shall inform the patient of the imminent deletion or destruction of the fetal monitor tracing or of the microfilm copy of the fetal monitor tracing and of the patient's right, within 30 days after receipt of notice, to obtain the fetal monitor tracing or the microfilm copy of the fetal monitor tracing from the health care provider.

(d) The notice requirements under this subsection do not apply after 5 years after a fetal monitor tracing was first made.

History: 1987 a. 27, 399, 403.