Opinion ID: 1682446
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Peer Review Records

Text: Section 395.0191(8), Florida Statutes (2001), provides: The investigations, proceedings, and records of the board, or agent thereof with whom there is a specific written contract for the purposes of this section, as described in this section shall not be subject to discovery or introduction into evidence in any civil action against a provider of professional health services arising out of matters which are the subject of evaluation and review by such board, and no person who was in attendance at a meeting of such board or its agent shall be permitted or required to testify in any such civil action as to any evidence or other matters produced or presented during the proceedings of such board or its agent or as to any findings, recommendations, evaluations, opinions, or other actions of such board or its agent or any members thereof. However, information, documents, or records otherwise available from original sources are not to be construed as immune from discovery or use in any such civil action merely because they were presented during proceedings of such board; nor should any person who testifies before such board or who is a member of such board be prevented from testifying as to matters within his or her knowledge, but such witness cannot be asked about his or her testimony before such a board or opinions formed by him or her as a result of such board hearings. (Emphasis added.) Similarly, section 766.101(5), Florida Statutes (2001), provides: The investigations, proceedings, and records of a committee as described in the preceding subsections shall not be subject to discovery or introduction into evidence in any civil or administrative action against a provider of professional health services arising out of the matters which are the subject of evaluation and review by such committee, and no person who was in attendance at a meeting of such committee shall be permitted or required to testify in any such civil action as to any evidence or other matters produced or presented during the proceedings of such committee or as to any findings, recommendations, evaluations, opinions, or other actions of such committee or any members thereof. However, information, documents, or records otherwise available from original sources are not to be construed as immune from discovery or use in any such civil action merely because they were presented during proceedings of such committee, nor should any person who testifies before such committee or who is a member of such committee be prevented from testifying as to matters within his or her knowledge, but the said witness cannot be asked about his or her testimony before such a committee or opinions formed by him or her as a result of said committee hearings. (Emphasis added.) These statutes provide express protection both to the records of the peer review committee, and to the findings, recommendations, evaluations, opinions, or other actions of such committee. Contrary to the conclusion and opinion of the Second District below, we conclude these provisions render as confidential a record of a peer review committee containing its recommendations. We further conclude that the reasoning in Bayfront Medical cannot be extended to civil malpractice litigation. Unlike the parties seeking access to documents submitted to, reviewed by, or created by the peer review committees in the other cases discussed, AHCA has been granted explicit statutory authority to inspect most records at licensed healthcare facilities. 741 So.2d at 1226. AHCA has been granted access to certain records by virtue of its statutory duty to review disciplinary actions at licensed medical facilities. The Second District, recognizing this duty, nevertheless has limited AHCA's inspection to records that are not part of the investigative portion of a facility's peer review panel, while allowing access to the final actions of the panel. On the other hand, the confidentiality provisions of the statutes set out above remain operative as to civil litigation outside the regulatory context.