(a) A person engaged in research may have access to psychiatric communications and records which identify patients where needed for such research, if such person’s research plan is first submitted to and approved by the director of the mental health facility or his designee.

(b) The communications and records shall not be removed from the mental health facility which prepared them. Coded data or data which does not identify a patient may be removed from a mental health facility, provided the key to the code shall remain on the premises of the facility.

(c) The mental health facility and the person doing the research shall be responsible for the preservation of the anonymity of the patients and shall not disseminate data which identifies a patient except as provided by sections 52-146d to 52-146j, inclusive.