Data Release

DATA RELEASE POLICY

RELEASE OF INFORMATION

8.1 The following policy shall prevail as applicable to release of hospital data collected by the Association:

8.1 (a) Nonsensitive, institution-specific data can be released in both institution-specific and in aggregate format, except that institution-specific release shall be restricted to participating hospitals when participation is less than one hundred percent (100%).
8.1 (b) Nonsensitive, aggregate information may be released without restrictions.
8.1 (c) Sensitive, institution-specific information cannot be released except with written permission of the hospital CEO.
8.1 (d) Sensitive institution-specific data may be released in aggregate form with the exceptions of the Administrative and Management Salary Surveys. The Administrative and Management Salary Survey results are to be distributed only to those who participated in the survey and others to whom the participants request or authorize.
8.1 (e) Exceptions to the institution-specific limits may be made by the Board of Directors of the Association on a programmatic basis, i.e., universal release of information for all hospitals as opposed to release for a lesser number of institutions.
8.1 (f) Acceptable requests for information from IHA concerning data of a specific institution will be answered with copies of the response going to both the requestor and the CEO of the hospital(s) named in the request and shall be released to the requestor only with written permission of the CEO(s).
8.1 (g) Sensitive institution-specific data are defined as follows: salary surveys; financial information, except as available for public release under the Hospital Financial Disclosure Act or available for release through the Dimensions software; and Comparative Outcome Profile data, except measure sets released to accrediting and health oversight agencies.

8.2 Members are encouraged to make available to the Association for planning and other statistical purposes, information submitted to governmental agencies and to others, with the following limitations:

8.2 (a) Medical Records Information. With patient consent, members may release all information identified by the patient. Without patient consent, members may be governed by their general policies respecting release of nonconfidential information. Information may be released to IHA for patient discharge and other such studies providing the information furnished IHA, or others to whom the studies may be released, does not specifically identify the patient.
8.2 (b) Patient Alerts. If a patient is not being treated specifically for substance abuse and appears to have misrepresented material information, members may release the information about the patient to the Association. If such patient is being treated specifically for alcohol or drug abuse, members should clear this information through Association Counsel before releasing.
8.2 (c) Physician Information. Do not release to the Association physician-specific medical staff peer review information except in accordance with the Indiana Peer Review Statute (I.C. 34-4-12.6). ​

The IHA data release policy is set forth by the board of directors in the association's Rules and Regulations.