Louisiana Administrative Code
Title 48 - PUBLIC HEALTH-GENERAL
Part I - General Administration
Subpart 1 - General
Chapter 5 - Disclosure of Confidential Information
Section I-503 - Definitions

Agency-each hospital, clinic, institution, school for the mentally deficient, mental health facility, office, bureau, division, board, commission or other entity which has been placed within the Department of Health and Human Resources, which maintains or makes use of medical information concerning individuals.

Department-the Department of Health and Human Resources.

Designated Representative-a physician or mental health professional selected by a patient to review the patient's medical record for the purpose of determining what information in the patient's record will be disclosed to the patient.

Medical Emergency-a situation where, in competent medical judgement, disclosure of medical information is reasonably necessary and any delay in attempting to procure the patient's consent to disclosure of medical information would jeopardize the life or health of the patient or could reasonably result in disfigurement or impairment of faculties.

Medical Information-the charts, records, reports, documents, and other memoranda prepared by physicians, surgeons, psychiatrists, nurses, and employees of the public hospitals, public mental health facilities, public schools for the mentally deficient, public health facilities and other agencies to record or indicate the past or present, mental or physical condition of parents.

Mental Health Professional-psychiatrists, psychiatric social workers, psychiatric nurses and psychologists.

Minor-any unemancipated individual who has not attained the age of eighteen years.

Patient Identifying Information-the name, address, social security number, or similar information by which a patient's identity can be determined with reasonable accuracy and speed.

Person-any individual, partnership, corporation, association, organization, state or federal department, or state or federal agency.

Superintendent-the superintendent of any hospital that is an agency of the department and includes the director or the highest ranking official of an agency not headed by a superintendent.

Tutor-either parent of a minor where both parents are living and married to each other; the parent having legal custody of the minor; where the parents are separated or divorced; the surviving parent of the minor if one of the parents is deceased; any court appointed tutor or guardian; and the secretary of the department where custody of the minor has been awarded to an office or agency of the department.

AUTHORITY NOTE: Promulgated in accordance with R.S. 44:7.