The information on this page was last updated by Horty, Springer & Mattern on February 19, 2021.
RHODE ISLAND
REPORTING REQUIREMENTS
R.I. Gen. Laws §5-29-18 Reports relating to professional conduct and capacity – Regulations – Confidentiality – Immunity [Podiatrist].
(a) The board, with the approval of the director, may adopt regulations requiring any person, including, but not limited to, corporations, health care facilities, health maintenance organizations, organizations and federal, state, or local governmental agencies, or peer review boards to report to the board any conviction, determination, or finding that a licensed podiatrist has committed unprofessional conduct, or to report information which indicates that a podiatrist may not be able to practice podiatry with reasonable skill and safety to patients as the result of any mental or physical condition. The regulations shall include the reporting requirements set forth in subdivisions (1), (2) and (3) of subsection (b).
(b) The following reports, in writing, shall be filed with the board:
(1) Every insurer providing professional liability insurance to the podiatrist licensed under the provisions of this chapter shall send a complete report to the board as to any formal notice of any claim, settlement of any claim or cause of actions, or final judgment rendered in any cause of action for damages for death or personal injury caused by the podiatrist’s negligence, error, or omission in practice or his or her rendering of unauthorized professional services. The report shall be sent within thirty (30) days after service of the complaint or notice, settlement, judgment, or arbitration award on the parties. All of those reports shall set forth an in-depth factual summary of the claim in question.
(2) All hospital and licensed health care facilities including, but not limited to, nursing homes and health maintenance organizations and the director of health must report to the board within thirty (30) days of the action, any action, disciplinary or otherwise, taken for any reason, which limits, suspends or revokes a podiatrist’s privilege to practice or requires supervision of a podiatrist either through formal action by the institution or faculty or through any voluntary agreement with the podiatrist.
(3) Within ten (10) days after a judgment by a court of this state that a podiatrist licensed under the provisions of this chapter has been convicted of a crime or is civilly liable for any death or personal injury caused by his or her negligence, error, or omission in his or her practice or his or her rendering of unauthorized professional services, the clerk of the court which rendered such judgment shall report the judgment to the board.
(c) The board shall report any changes of privileges of which it is aware to the board of trustees or other appropriate body of all licensed hospitals and health maintenance organizations within thirty (30) days.
(d) The contents of any report file shall be confidential and exempt from public disclosure, except that it may be reviewed:
(1) By the licensee involved or his or her counsel or authorized representative who may submit any additional exculpatory or explanatory statements or other information, which statement or other information shall be included in the file, or
(2) By the director, a representative of the board or an investigator for the board, who has been assigned to review the activities of a licensed podiatrist.
(e) Upon determination that a report is without merit, the board’s records may be purged of information relating to the report.
(f) If any person refuses to furnish a required report, the board may petition the superior court of any county in which that person resides or is found, and the superior court shall issue to that person an order to furnish the required report. Any failure to comply with that order constitutes civil contempt.
(g) Every individual, podiatry association, podiatry society, hospital, health care facility, health maintenance organization, peer review board, health insurance carrier or agent, professional standards review organization, and the agency of the federal, state or local government is immune from civil liability, whether direct or derivative, for providing information to the board in good faith pursuant to this statute or the regulations outlined in subsection (a) or requirements of subsection (b).
(h) Nondisclosure agreements are prohibited insofar as they forbid parties from making reports regarding competency and/or unprofessional conduct to the board of examiners in podiatry.
§5-31.1-20 Reports relating to professional conduct and capacity – Regulations – Confidentiality – Immunity [Dentists].
(a) The board, with the approval of the director, may adopt regulations requiring any person, including, but not limited to, corporations, health care facilities, health maintenance organizations, organizations, federal, state, or local governmental agencies, or peer review boards to report to the board any conviction, determination, or finding that a licensed dentist, dental hygienist, or DAANCE-certified maxillofacial surgery assistant has committed unprofessional conduct as defined by § 5-31.1-10, or to report information that indicates that a licensed dentist, dental hygienist, or DAANCE-certified maxillofacial surgery assistant may not be able to practice dentistry, dental hygiene or DAANCE-certified maxillofacial surgery assisting with reasonable skill and safety to patients as the result of any mental or physical condition. The regulations include the reporting requirements prescribed in subdivisions (b)(1), (2), and (3) of this section.
(b) The following reports, in writing, shall be filed with the board:
(1) Every insurer providing professional liability insurance to a dentist, dental hygienist, or DAANCE-certified maxillofacial surgery assistant licensed under the provisions of this chapter must send a complete report to the board as to any formal notice of any claim, settlement of any claim or cause of actions, or final judgment rendered in any cause of action for damages for death or personal injury caused by a dentist’s, dental hygienist’s, or DAANCE-certified maxillofacial surgery assistant’s negligence, error, or omission in practice or his or her rendering of unauthorized professional services. This report shall be sent within thirty (30) days after service of the complaint or notice, settlement, judgment, or arbitration award on the parties. All of those reports shall present an in-depth, factual summary of the claim in question.
(2) All hospital and licensed health care facilities including, but not limited to, nursing homes and health maintenance organizations and the director of the department of health must report to the board, within thirty (30) days of the action, any action, disciplinary or otherwise, taken for any reason, that limits, suspends, or revokes a dentist’s or dental hygienist’s privilege to practice or requires supervision of a dentist, either through formal action by the institution or faculty or through any voluntary agreement with the dentist.
(3) Within ten (10) days after a judgment by a court of this state that a dentist or dental hygienist licensed under the provisions of this chapter has been convicted of a crime or is civilly liable for any death or personal injury caused by his or her negligence, error, or omission in his or her practice or his or her rendering unauthorized professional services, the clerk of the court that rendered the judgment shall report the judgment to the board.
(c) The board shall report any changes of privileges of which it is aware to the board of trustees or other appropriate body of all licensed hospitals and health maintenance organizations within thirty (30) days.
(d) The contents of any report file are confidential and exempt from public disclosure, except that it may be reviewed:
(1) By the licensee involved, or his or her counsel or authorized representative, who may submit any additional exculpatory or explanatory statements or other information, which statements or other information are included in the file; or
(2) By the dental administrator, a representative of the board, or an investigator for the board, who has been assigned to review the activities of a licensed dentist, dental hygienist or DAANCE-certified maxillofacial surgery assistant.
(e) Upon determination that a report is without merit, the board’s records may be purged of information relating to the report.
(f) If any person refuses to furnish a required report, the board may petition the superior court of any county in which that person resides or is found, and the superior court shall issue to the court’s person an order to furnish the required report. Any failure to comply with that order constitutes civil contempt.
(g) Every individual, dental association, dental society, dental hygiene association, dental auxiliary association hospital, health care facility, health maintenance organizations, peer review board, dental service bureau, health insurance carrier or agent, professional standards review organization, and the agency of the federal, state, or local government is immune from civil liability, whether direct or derivative, for providing information to the board in good faith pursuant to this statute or the regulations outlined in subsection (a) of this section or requirements of subsection (b) of this section.
(h) Nondisclosure agreements are prohibited insofar as they forbid parties from making reports regarding competency and/or unprofessional conduct to the board of examiners in dentistry.
(i) The board of examiners in dentistry, with the approval of the director, shall promulgate rules and regulations establishing standards for hospital or health maintenance organization supervision of dentists or dental hygienists by peer-review committees. Those regulations, including without limiting their generality, shall require that each hospital or health maintenance organization report annually to the board the activities findings, studies, and determination of its peer-review committees.
§5-37-9 Reports relating to professional conduct and capacity – Regulations – Confidentiality – Immunity.
In addition to the requirements of § 42-14-2.1 [Reporting by certain insurers – Settlements]:
(1) The board with the approval of the director may adopt regulations requiring any person, including, but not limited to, corporations, health care facilities, health maintenance organizations, organizations, federal, state, or local governmental agencies, and peer review boards to report to the board any conviction, determination, or finding that a licensed physician has committed unprofessional conduct as defined by §5-37-5.1 as now or hereafter amended, or to report information which indicates that a licensed physician may not be able to practice medicine with reasonable skill and safety to patients as the result of any mental or physical condition. The regulations shall include the reporting requirements of subdivision (2)(i), (ii) and (iii).
(2) The following reports in writing shall be filed with the board:
(i) Every insurer providing professional liability insurance to a physician licensed under the provisions of this chapter shall send a complete report to the board presenting notice of any civil action filed, settlement of any claim or cause of action, or final judgment rendered in any cause of action for damages for death or personal injury caused by the physician’s negligence, error, or omission in practice, or his or her rendering of unauthorized professional services. This report shall be sent within thirty (30) days after notice of any civil action filed, settlement, judgment, or arbitration award. All of these reports shall present an in-depth factual summary of the claim in question. Commencing July 1, 1997, all reports of final judgments or settlements shall specify the class or category of risk for which the physician is insured identified by Insurance Services Organization (“ISO”) Code and, in the case of joint and several liability, shall specify the portion of the total award paid by or on behalf of the physician.
(ii) All hospital and licensed health care facilities including, but not limited to, nursing homes and health maintenance organizations and the director of health must report to the board within thirty (30) days of this action, any action, disciplinary or otherwise, taken for any reason, which limits, suspends or revokes a physician’s privilege to practice or requires supervision of a physician, either through formal action by the institution or facility or through any voluntary agreement with the physician.
(iii) Within ten (10) days after a judgment by a court of this state that a physician licensed under the provisions of this chapter has been convicted of a crime or is civilly liable for any death or personal injury caused by his or her negligence, error, or omission in his or her practice, or his or her rendering unauthorized professional services, the clerk of the court which rendered this judgment shall report the judgment to the board.
(3) The board shall publicly report any change of privilege, of which it is aware, to the board of trustees or other appropriate body of all licensed hospitals, licensed health care facilities, health maintenance organizations, and other parties as the board deems appropriate within thirty (30) days; provided, that, except as required by § 5-37-9.2 [Physician Profiles – Public access to data] notwithstanding the provisions of this subdivision, the board may, in instances where the change of privilege is not related to quality of patient care, elect not to disseminate the report of change in privilege. This election may be made in executive session and no decision not to disseminate is made except by majority vote of the members present at the meeting and only upon a finding of fact by the board after inquiry that the change of privilege was not related to quality of patient care.
(4) Except as provided in § 5-37-9.2 [Physician Profiles – Public access to data], the contents of any report file are confidential and exempt from public disclosure, except that it may be reviewed:
(i) By the licensee involved or his or her counsel or authorized representative who may submit any additional exculpatory or explanatory statements or other information, which statements or other information is included in the file, or
(ii) By the chief administrative officer, a representative of the board, or investigator of the board, who has been assigned to review the activities of a licensed physician.
(5) Upon determination that a report is without merit, the board’s records may be purged of information relating to the report.
(6) If any person refuses to furnish a required report, the board may petition the superior court of any county in which the person resides or is found, and the court shall issue to this person an order to furnish the required report. Any failure to comply with this order constitutes civil contempt.
(7) Every individual, medical association, medical society, hospital, health care facility, health maintenance organization, peer review board, medical service bureau, health insurance carrier or agent, professional standards review organization, and agency of the federal, state, or local government shall be immune from civil liability, whether direct or derivative, for providing information in good faith to the board pursuant to this section or the regulations outlined in subdivision (1) or requirements of subdivision (2).
(8) Nondisclosure agreements are prohibited in so far as they forbid parties from making reports regarding competency and/or unprofessional conduct to the board of medical licensure and discipline.
(9) The board with the approval of director promulgates rules and regulations prescribing standards for hospital or health maintenance organization supervision of physicians by peer review committees. These regulations require that each hospital or health maintenance organization report annually to the board the activities, findings, studies, and determinations of its peer review committees.
§5-37-9.1 Requirements relating to professional conduct.
The board shall receive and maintain a confidential file which will be available to the board to precipitate or aid in their investigations. The information is also available to licensed health care facilities including health maintenance organizations in connection with the granting of staff privileges and to the individual physicians themselves and is available for inclusion in physician profiles pursuant to § 5-37-9.2 [Physician Profiles – Public access to data]. The file contains the following physician information:
(1) Cases of malpractice suits against a physician as reported to the board by insurers and self-insurers;
(2) Cases of malpractice suits that result in allegations being dropped, a dismissal, a settlement, or court judgment or arbitration award adverse to the physician;
(3) Reports by any hospital or state or local professional medical association/society of disciplinary action taken against any physician. This should also include any resignation of a physician if related to unprofessional conduct as defined in law or any withdrawal of an application for hospital privileges relating to unprofessional conduct;
(4) Reports by state and federal courts of physicians found guilty of a felony;
(5) Reports by the professional review organization and third party health insurers of sanctions imposed on a physician;
(6) Annual reports by hospitals and health maintenance organizations of current appointments to their medical staffs; and
(7) Information supplied to the board by the federation of state medical boards and the American Medical Association. The file may contain any other data that the board by reasonable rule or regulation deems appropriate.
§ 23-17-40. Hospital and freestanding, emergency-care facility events reporting.
(a) Definitions. As used in this section, the following terms shall have the following meanings:
(1) “Adverse event” means injury to a patient resulting from a medical intervention, and not to the underlying condition of the patient.
(2) “Checklist of care” means predetermined steps to be followed by a team of health-care providers before, during, or after a given procedure to decrease the possibility of adverse effects and other patient harm by articulating standards of care.
(b) Reportable events as defined in subsection (c) shall be reported to the department of health division of facilities regulation on a telephone number maintained for that purpose. Hospitals and freestanding, emergency-care facilities shall report incidents as defined in subsection (c) within twenty-four (24) hours of when the accident occurred or, if later, within twenty-four (24) hours of receipt of information causing the hospital or freestanding, emergency-care facility to believe that a reportable event has occurred.
(c) Reportable events are defined as follows:
(1) Fires or internal disasters in the facility that disrupt the provisions of patient-care services or cause harm to patients or personnel;
(2) Poisoning involving patients of the facility;
(3) Infection outbreaks as defined by the department in regulation;
(4) Kidnapping and inpatient psychiatric elopements and elopements by minors;
(5) Strikes by personnel;
(6) Disasters or other emergency situations external to the hospital or freestanding, emergency-care facility environment that adversely affect facility operations; and
(7) Unscheduled termination of any services vital to the continued safe operation of the facility or to the health and safety of its patients and personnel.
(d) Any hospital or freestanding, emergency-care facility filing a report with the attorney general’s office concerning abuse, neglect, and mistreatment of patients, as defined in chapter 17.8 of this title, shall forward a copy of the report to the department of health. In addition, a copy of all hospital notifications and reports made in compliance with the federal Safe Medical Devices Act of 1990, 21 U.S.C. § 301 et seq., shall be forwarded to the department of health within the time specified in the federal law.
(e) Any reportable incident in a hospital that results in patient injury, as defined in subsection (f), shall be reported to the department of health with1 seventy-two (72) hours or when the hospital has reasonable cause to believe that an incident, as defined in subsection (f), has occurred. The department of health shall promulgate rules and regulations to include the process whereby health-care professionals with knowledge of an incident shall report it to the hospital; requirements for the hospital to conduct a root-cause analysis of the incident or other appropriate process for incident investigation and to develop and file a performance-improvement plan; and additional incidents to be reported that are in addition to those listed in subsection (f). In its reports, no personal identifiers shall be included. The hospital shall require the appropriate committee within the hospital to carry out a peer-review process to determine whether the incident was within the normal range of outcomes, given the patient’s condition. The hospital shall notify the department of the outcome of the internal review, and if the findings determine that the incident was within the normal range of patient outcomes, no further action is required. If the findings conclude that the incident was not within the normal range of patient outcomes, the hospital shall conduct a root-cause analysis or other appropriate process for incident investigation to identify causal factors that may have lead to the incident and develop a performance-improvement plan to prevent similar incidents from occurring in the future. The hospital shall also provide to the department of health the following information:
(1) An explanation of the circumstances surrounding the incident;
(2) An updated assessment of the effect of the incident on the patient;
(3) A summary of current patient status, including follow-up care provided and post-incident diagnosis;
(4) A summary of all actions taken to correct identified problems to prevent recurrence of the incident and/or to improve overall patient care and to comply with other requirements of this section.
(f) Incidents to be reported are those causing or involving:
(1) Brain injury;
(2) Mental impairment;
(3) Paraplegia;
(4) Quadriplegia;
(5) Any type of paralysis;
(6) Loss of use of limb or organ;
(7) Hospital stay extended due to serious or unforeseen complications;
(8) Birth injury;
(9) Impairment of sight or hearing;
(10) Surgery on the wrong patient;
(11) Subjecting a patient to a procedure other than that ordered or intended by the patient’s attending physician;
(12) Any other incident that is reported to their malpractice insurance carrier or self-insurance program;
(13) Suicide of a patient during treatment or within five (5) days of discharge from an inpatient or outpatient unit (if known);
(14) Blood transfusion error; and
(15) Any serious or unforeseen complication, that is not expected or probable, resulting in an extended hospital stay or death of the patient.
(g) This section does not replace other reporting required by this chapter.
(h) Nothing in this section shall prohibit the department from investigating any event or incident.
(i) All reports to the department under this section shall be subject to the provisions of § 23-17-15. In addition, all reports under this section, together with the peer-review records and proceedings related to events and incidents so reported and the participants in the proceedings, shall be deemed entitled to all the privileges and immunities for peer-review records set forth in § 23-17-25.
(j) The department shall issue an annual report by March 31 each year providing aggregate, summary information on the events and incidents reported by hospitals and freestanding, emergency-care facilities as required by this chapter. A copy of the report shall be forwarded to the governor, the speaker of the house, the senate president, and members of the health care quality steering committee established pursuant to § 23-17.17-6.
(k) The director shall review the list of incidents to be reported in subsection (f) at least biennially to ascertain whether any additions, deletions, or modifications to the list are necessary. In conducting the review, the director shall take into account those adverse events identified on the National Quality Forum’s List of Serious Reportable Events. In the event the director determines that incidents should be added, deleted, or modified, the director shall make such recommendations for changes to the legislature.