                                 CODE OF VIRGINIA

PREHOSPITAL PATIENT CARE REPORTING PROCEDURE; TRAUMA REGISTRY; CONFIDENTIALITY
(§ 32.1-116.1)

A. In order to collect data on the incidence, severity, and cause of trauma;
integrate the information available from other state agencies on trauma; improve
the delivery of prehospital and hospital emergency medical services, the quality
of patient care, and access to medical services; and make other system
improvements, there is hereby established the Emergency Medical Services Patient
Care Information System. The Emergency Medical Services Patient Care Information
System shall include the Virginia Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Registry and
the Virginia Statewide Trauma Registry.

B. All licensed emergency medical services agencies shall participate in the
Virginia EMS Registry by making available to the Commissioner or his designees
the minimum data set in the format prescribed by the Board or any other format
which contain equivalent information and meets any technical specifications of
the Board. The minimum data set shall include, but not be limited to, the type
of medical emergency or nature of the call, the response time, the treatment
provided and other items as prescribed by the Board.
			Each licensed emergency medical services agency shall, upon request, disclose
the prehospital care report to law-enforcement officials (i) when the patient is
the victim of a crime or (ii) when the patient is in the custody of the
law-enforcement officials and has received emergency medical services or has
refused emergency medical services.
			The Commissioner may delegate the responsibility for collection of this data
to the Office of Emergency Medical Services personnel or individuals under
contract to the Office. The Advisory Board shall assist in the design,
implementation, subsequent revisions and analyses of the data from the Virginia
EMS Registry.

C. All licensed hospitals which render emergency medical services shall
participate in the Virginia Statewide Trauma Registry by making available to the
Commissioner or his designees abstracts of the records of all patients admitted
to the institutions with diagnoses related to trauma. The abstracts shall be
submitted in the format prescribed by the Department and shall include the
minimum data set prescribed by the Board. Such abstracts shall also be provided
to regional emergency medical services councils upon request, for uses limited
to monitoring and improving the quality of emergency medical services pursuant
to &#xA7; 32.1-111.3.
			The Commissioner shall seek the advice and assistance of the Advisory Board
and the Trauma System Oversight and Management Committee in the design,
implementation, subsequent revisions and analyses of the Virginia Statewide
Trauma Registry.

D. Patient and other data or information submitted to the trauma registry or
transmitted to the Commissioner, the Advisory Board, any committee acting on
behalf of the Advisory Board, any hospital or prehospital care provider, any
regional emergency medical services council, permitted emergency medical
services agency, or other group or committee for the purpose of monitoring and
improving the quality of care pursuant to &#xA7; 32.1-111.3, shall be privileged
and shall not be disclosed or obtained by legal discovery proceedings, unless
disclosure is made in accordance with &#xA7; 32.1-116.2 or a circuit court,
after a hearing and for good cause shown arising from extraordinary
circumstances, orders disclosure of such data.

E. The Commissioner shall make available and share all information contained in
the Virginia Statewide Trauma Registry with the Department for Aging and
Rehabilitative Services so that the Department may develop and implement
programs and services for persons suffering from brain injuries and spinal cord
injuries.

HISTORY: 1987, c. 480; 2002, cc. 568, 658; 2003, c. 471; 2006, c. 412; 2007, c.
13; 2008, c. 563; 2012, cc. 402, 803, 835; 2018, c. 195; 2020, c. 883.