Sec. 11. (a) The commission shall develop procedures for ongoing review of all emergency ambulance services.

     (b) The commission and the department of homeland security may review any pre-hospital ambulance rescue or report record regarding an emergency patient that is utilized or compiled by an emergency ambulance service employing paramedics, advanced emergency medical technicians, or emergency medical technicians. However, except as provided in subsection (d), those records shall remain confidential and may be used for the following purposes:

(1) The compilation and use of data and statistics. The use of such data or statistics is subject to IC 4-1-6.

(2) Sharing and exchanging data with another entity for the purpose of improving patient care and outcomes. The entity shall:

(A) be:

(i) a covered entity pursuant to the federal Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) (P.L. 104-191); or

(ii) an Indiana nonprofit entity that performs health data services for a health care provider; and

(B) enter into a data sharing agreement with the commission or department of homeland security that governs the use and protection of confidential data.

     (c) The commission and the department of homeland security may independently develop and oversee experimental study projects conducted by ambulance service providers in limited geographic areas of Indiana. These study projects must be developed and conducted in accordance with rules adopted by the commission under IC 4-22-2. These study projects must be designed to test the efficacy of new patient care techniques and new ambulance service systems.

     (d) This subsection applies to emergency ambulance services that are provided by or under a contract with an entity that is a public agency for purposes of IC 5-14-3. The following information, if contained in a pre-hospital ambulance rescue or report record regarding an emergency patient, is public information and must be made available for inspection and copying under IC 5-14-3:

(1) The date and time of the request for ambulance services.

(2) The reason for the request for assistance.

(3) The time and nature of the response to the request for ambulance services.

(4) The time of arrival at the scene where the patient was located.

(5) The time of departure from the scene where the patient was located.

(6) The name of the facility, if any, to which the patient was delivered for further treatment and the time of arrival at that facility.

[Pre-1993 Recodification Citation: 16-1-40-7.]

As added by P.L.2-1993, SEC.14. Amended by P.L.127-2001, SEC.2; P.L.205-2003, SEC.22; P.L.77-2012, SEC.19; P.L.170-2022, SEC.26.