California Code, Health and Safety Code - HSC § 59016

(a) All records of interviews, written reports, and statements procured by the office or by any other person, agency, or organization acting jointly with the office, in connection with special morbidity and mortality studies shall be confidential insofar as the identify  1 of the individual patient is concerned and shall be used solely for the purpose of the study. The furnishing of that information to the office or its authorized representative, or to any other cooperating individual, agency, or organization in any such special study, shall not subject any person, hospital, sanitarium, rest home, nursing home, or other organization furnishing the information to any action for damages. This section shall not apply to general morbidity and mortality studies customarily and continuously conducted by the office and which do not involve patient identification.

(b) Nothing in this section prohibits the publishing by the office of statistical compilations relating to morbidity and mortality studies which do not identify cases and sources of information or religious affiliations.