50-16-504. Definitions.

MONTANA STATUTES AND CODES

     50-16-504. Definitions. As used in this part, unless the context indicates otherwise, the following definitions apply:
     (1) "Audit" means an assessment, evaluation, determination, or investigation of a health care provider by a person not employed by or affiliated with the provider, to determine compliance with:
     (a) statutory, regulatory, fiscal, medical, or scientific standards;
     (b) a private or public program of payments to a health care provider; or
     (c) requirements for licensing, accreditation, or certification.
     (2) "Directory information" means information disclosing the presence and the general health condition of a patient who is an inpatient in a health care facility or who is receiving emergency health care in a health care facility.
     (3) "General health condition" means the patient's health status described in terms of critical, poor, fair, good, excellent, or terms denoting similar conditions.
     (4) "Health care" means any care, service, or procedure provided by a health care provider, including medical or psychological diagnosis, treatment, evaluation, advice, or other services that affect the structure or any function of the human body.
     (5) "Health care facility" means a hospital, clinic, nursing home, laboratory, office, or similar place where a health care provider provides health care to patients.
     (6) "Health care information" means any information, whether oral or recorded in any form or medium, that identifies or can readily be associated with the identity of a patient and relates to the patient's health care. The term includes any record of disclosures of health care information.
     (7) "Health care provider" means a person who is licensed, certified, or otherwise authorized by the laws of this state to provide health care in the ordinary course of business or practice of a profession.
     (8) "Institutional review board" means a board, committee, or other group formally designated by an institution or authorized under federal or state law to review, approve the initiation of, or conduct periodic review of research programs to assure the protection of the rights and welfare of human research subjects.
     (9) "Maintain", as related to health care information, means to hold, possess, preserve, retain, store, or control that information.
     (10) "Patient" means an individual who receives or has received health care. The term includes a deceased individual who has received health care.
     (11) "Peer review" means an evaluation of health care services by a committee of a state or local professional organization of health care providers or a committee of medical staff of a licensed health care facility. The committee must be:
     (a) authorized by law to evaluate health care services; and
     (b) governed by written bylaws approved by the governing board of the health care facility or an organization of health care providers.
     (12) "Person" means an individual, corporation, business trust, estate, trust, partnership, association, joint venture, government, governmental subdivision or agency, or other legal or commercial entity.
     (13) "Reasonable fee" means the charge, as provided for in 50-16-540, for duplicating, searching for, or handling recorded health care information.