Hawaii Revised Statutes Division 4. Courts and Judicial Proceedings § 671-19

[(a)] It shall be the duty of every person who files an inquiry with the medical inquiry and conciliation panel, every health care provider against whom the inquiry is made, and every insurance carrier or other person providing medical tort liability insurance for the health care provider, to cooperate with the medical inquiry and conciliation panel and meaningfully participate in panel proceedings for the purpose of achieving a prompt, fair, and just resolution, disposition, or settlement of the inquiry, provided that cooperation and participation shall not prejudice the substantive rights of those persons.

[(b)] Any party may apply to the panel to have the costs of the action assessed against any party for failure to cooperate with the panel or meaningfully participate in panel proceedings. The panel may award costs, or a portion thereof, including attorney's fees, witness fees including those of expert witnesses, filing fees, and costs of the medical inquiry and conciliation panel proceedings to the party applying therefor.

[(c)] In determining whether any person has failed to cooperate or meaningfully participate in good faith, the panel shall consider, but is not limited to, the following:

[(d)] The party against whom costs are awarded may appeal the award to the circuit court. The court may affirm or remand the case with instructions for further proceedings; or it may reverse or modify the award if the substantial rights of the petitioners may have been prejudiced because the award is characterized as abuse of discretion.