Texas Occupations Code 160.007 – Confidentiality Relating to Medical Peer Review Committee
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(a) Except as otherwise provided by this subtitle, each proceeding or record of a medical peer review committee is confidential, and any communication made to a medical peer review committee is privileged.
(b) If a judge makes a preliminary finding that a proceeding or record of a medical peer review committee or a communication made to the committee is relevant to an anticompetitive action, or to a civil rights proceeding brought under 42 U.S.C. § 1983, the proceeding, record, or communication is not confidential to the extent it is considered relevant.
Terms Used In Texas Occupations Code 160.007
- Board: means the Texas Medical Board. See Texas Occupations Code 151.002
- Defendant: In a civil suit, the person complained against; in a criminal case, the person accused of the crime.
- Discovery: Lawyers' examination, before trial, of facts and documents in possession of the opponents to help the lawyers prepare for trial.
- Evidence: Information presented in testimony or in documents that is used to persuade the fact finder (judge or jury) to decide the case for one side or the other.
- Health care entity: means :
(A) a hospital licensed under Chapter 241 or Texas Occupations Code 151.002 - in writing: includes any representation of words, letters, or figures, whether by writing, printing, or other means. See Texas Government Code 312.011
- Person: means an individual, unless the term is expressly made applicable to a partnership, association, or corporation. See Texas Occupations Code 151.002
- Physician: means a person licensed to practice medicine in this state. See Texas Occupations Code 151.002
- Plaintiff: The person who files the complaint in a civil lawsuit.
- Subpoena: A command to a witness to appear and give testimony.
- Written: includes any representation of words, letters, symbols, or figures. See Texas Government Code 311.005
(c) A record or proceeding of a medical peer review committee or a written or oral communication made to the committee may be disclosed to:
(1) another medical peer review committee;
(2) an appropriate state or federal agency;
(3) a national accreditation body;
(4) the board; or
(5) the state board of registration or licensing of physicians of another state.
(d) If a medical peer review committee takes action that could result in censure, suspension, restriction, limitation, revocation, or denial of membership or privileges in a health care entity, the affected physician shall be provided a written copy of the recommendation of the medical peer review committee and a copy of the final decision, including a statement of the basis for the decision. Disclosure to the affected physician of confidential peer review committee information relevant to the matter under review does not constitute waiver of the confidentiality requirements established under this subtitle.
(e) Unless disclosure is required or authorized by law, a record or determination of or a communication to a medical peer review committee is not subject to subpoena or discovery and is not admissible as evidence in any civil judicial or administrative proceeding without waiver of the privilege of confidentiality executed in writing by the committee. The evidentiary privileges created by this subtitle may be invoked by a person or organization in a civil judicial or administrative proceeding unless the person or organization secures a waiver of the privilege executed in writing by the chair, vice chair, or secretary of the affected medical peer review committee.
(f) If, under Sections 160.008(a) and (b), a person participating in peer review, a medical peer review committee, or a health care entity named as a defendant in a civil action filed as a result of participation in peer review may use otherwise confidential information in the defendant’s own defense, a plaintiff in the proceeding may disclose a record or determination of or a communication to a medical peer review committee in rebuttal to information supplied by the defendant.
(g) A person seeking access to privileged information must plead and prove waiver of the privilege. A member, employee, or agent of a medical peer review committee who provides access to an otherwise privileged communication or record in cooperation with a law enforcement authority in a criminal investigation is not considered to have waived any privilege established under this subtitle.