South Carolina Code 44-7-394. Assertion and defense of confidentiality claims
Further, a party to a medical or hospital malpractice case shall not offer testimony of a person who was a witness to the medical or hospital care that is the subject of the medical or hospital malpractice case if their testimony would be inconsistent with a prior written, electronic, video, or audio statement of fact submitted by the person and that is confidential under § 44-7-392, unless such prior inconsistent statement of fact is first produced to all parties in the medical or hospital malpractice case. Upon request by a party, a privilege log shall be provided by a hospital to all parties in the medical or hospital malpractice case identifying any prior written, electronic, video, or audio statements of fact relating to the medical or hospital care that is the subject of the medical or hospital malpractice case that were given by a witness who is identified in discovery and may testify at trial. Upon motion of any party, a prior statement of fact, whether written, electronic, video, or audio, that is confidential under § 44-7-392, may be reviewed by the court in camera to determine whether the prior statement of fact is inconsistent with the trial testimony offered in the medical or hospital malpractice case. If the court concludes that the prior statement of fact is inconsistent, the court shall order that the prior written statement of fact be produced to the moving party.
Terms Used In South Carolina Code 44-7-394
- Affected person: means the applicant, a person residing within the geographic area served or to be served by the applicant, persons located in the health service area in which the project is to be located and who provide similar services to the proposed project, persons who before receipt by the department of the proposal being reviewed have formally indicated an intention to provide similar services in the future, persons who pay for health services in the health service area in which the project is to be located and who have notified the department of their interest in Certificate of Need applications, the State Consumer Advocate, and the State Ombudsman. See South Carolina Code 44-7-130
- Appeal: A request made after a trial, asking another court (usually the court of appeals) to decide whether the trial was conducted properly. To make such a request is "to appeal" or "to take an appeal." One who appeals is called the appellant.
- Discovery: Lawyers' examination, before trial, of facts and documents in possession of the opponents to help the lawyers prepare for trial.
- Hospital: means a facility that is organized and administered to provide overnight medical or surgical care or nursing care for an illness, injury, or infirmity and must provide on-campus emergency services; that may provide obstetrical care; and in which all diagnoses, treatment, or care is administered by or under the direction of persons currently licensed to practice medicine, surgery, or osteopathy. See South Carolina Code 44-7-130
- Jurisdiction: (1) The legal authority of a court to hear and decide a case. Concurrent jurisdiction exists when two courts have simultaneous responsibility for the same case. (2) The geographic area over which the court has authority to decide cases.
- Person: means an individual, a trust or estate, a partnership, a corporation including an association, joint stock company, insurance company, and a health maintenance organization, a health care facility, a state, a political subdivision, or an instrumentality including a municipal corporation of a state, or any legal entity recognized by the State. See South Carolina Code 44-7-130
- Testify: Answer questions in court.
- Testimony: Evidence presented orally by witnesses during trials or before grand juries.
- Trial: A hearing that takes place when the defendant pleads "not guilty" and witnesses are required to come to court to give evidence.
(B) For purposes of this section an "affected person" means a person, other than a patient, who is a subject of a proceeding enumerated in § 44-7-392(A)(1).
(C) If the court orders a hospital or affected person to produce documents to a third party under this section, the hospital or affected person shall have the right to immediately appeal that order, and the filing of the appeal shall stay the enforcement of the order compelling the production.