American Samoa § 13.0217 - Acquisition of identifiable health information.

§ 13.0217. Acquisition of identifiable health information.

(a) Identifiable health information shall not be secretly acquired by the department. (b) The department shall only acquire identifiable health information where: (1) The acquisition relates directly to a public health purpose (including analysis and evaluation of conditions of public health importance and evaluation of public health programs); (2) The acquisition is reasonably likely to achieve such purpose, taking into account the provisions of this act and other governing laws, and the availability of resources or means to achieve such purpose; and (3) The public health purpose cannot otherwise be achieved as well or better with non-identifiable health information. (c) Prior to implementation of a determination by the department to acquire or store identifiable health information, the department shall announce its intentions to acquire or store identifiable health information and the purposes for which the information will be used. This announcement shall be made through public written notice distributed and posted in a manner as will reasonably inform members of the affected community. (1) Such notice shall not identify any individual who is or may be the subject of identifiable health information. (2) Where Territory or local law requires counseling services regarding a reportable disease, such counseling services shall include information that the disease is reportable to the Department and a description of the purposes for which the individual’s identifiable health information will be used by the department. (d) The department shall not acquire identifiable health information from another federal or ASG agency unless the acquisition is consistent with the requirements of this act and other controlling law.