American Samoa § 13.0216 - Health information system—statistics

§ 13.0216. Health information system—statistics

(a) The department shall administer a health information system to collect, use and analyze health, medical and vital information for the Territory. The health information system may include, but is not limited to, identifiable health information, non-identifiable health information, vaccination records, testing results, examination results, surveillance activity results, cancer registry and any and all other information needed, used, or acquired to protect the public health or perform essential public health services and functions. (b) The health information system may include system elements located in, and provide information services to, LBJ Tropical Medical Center under cooperative agreements, or contracts, approved by the director and the hospital authority board. (c) The department is authorized to collect, analyze, and maintain databases of identifiable health information and non-identifiable health information related to: (1) Risk factors identified for specific conditions of public health importance; (2) Morbidity and mortality rates for conditions of public health importance; (3) Community indicators relevant to conditions of public health importance; and (4) Any other data needed to accomplish or further the mission or goals of public health, or provide essential public health services and functions. (d) The department may coordinate the surveillance of zoonotic diseases. (e) The department is authorized to obtain information from federal, ASG agencies; health care providers or other private and public organizations. (1) The department may use information available from other governmental and private sources, reports of hospital discharge data, information included in death certificates, other vital statistics, environmental data, and public information. (2) The department may request information from or inspect health care records maintained by health care providers that identify patients or characteristics of patients with reportable diseases or other conditions of public health importance. (f) Identifiable health information may only be acquired, used, disclosed, and stored consistent with the requirements of this act. Non-identifiable data may be acquired, used, disclosed, or stored for any purpose or in any manner.