Louisiana Revised Statutes Tit. 40, § 1105.8. Disclosure of medical records to cancer registries

A. Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the contrary, all health care providers and radiation centers shall release an abstract of the patient's record reflecting the past or present physical condition of a patient upon request of the Louisiana cancer registry program established pursuant to the provisions of this Part. The cancer registry shall take strict measures to assure that all identifying information contained in patient record abstracts will be kept confidential.

B. The president may enter into agreements to exchange confidential information with other cancer registries in order to obtain complete reports of Louisiana residents diagnosed or treated in other states and to provide information to other states regarding their residents diagnosed or treated in Louisiana. However, before releasing confidential information the president shall obtain from such state registries, agencies, or researchers an agreement in writing to keep nonaggregate, case-specific information confidential and privileged. In no event shall either cancer registry bear liability for loss, expense, attorney fees, or claims for injury or damages arising out of acts or omissions in the performance of this agreement on the part of the other registry.

C. The office of the president shall promulgate rules and regulations in accordance with the Administrative Procedure Act to specify the extent to which confidential data may be disclosed to other local, state, or federal public health or environmental agencies, or to corroborating medical researchers, when the confidential information is necessary to carry out the duties of the agency or researchers in the investigation, control, or surveillance of disease, as determined by the office of the president. Before releasing confidential information to the researchers, the president shall obtain an agreement in writing from the researchers that they will keep nonaggregate, case-specific information confidential and privileged and that neither the office of the president nor the other entity shall bear liability for loss, expense, attorney fees, or claims for injury or damages arising out of acts or omissions in the performance of this agreement on the part of the other.

D. Any disclosure authorized by this Part shall include only the information necessary for the stated purpose of the requested disclosure, and shall be made only upon written agreement that the information will be kept confidential and will not be further disclosed without written authorization of the office of the president.

E. The furnishing of confidential data in accordance with this Part shall not expose any person, agency, or entity furnishing data to liability and shall not be considered to be in violation of any privileged or confidential relationship, provided the participant has acted in good faith in the reporting as required in this Part.

F. No case-specific data shall be available for subpoena nor shall it be disclosed, discoverable, or compelled to be produced in any civil, criminal, administrative, or other proceeding, nor shall such records be deemed admissible as evidence in any civil, criminal, administrative, or other tribunal or court for any reason. Nothing in this Section shall supersede the provisions of R.S. 40:3.1(A) through (H).

G. Nothing in this Part shall be construed to apply to the unauthorized disclosure of confidential or privileged information when such disclosure is due to gross negligence or willful misconduct.