The information on this page was last updated by Horty, Springer & Mattern on June 22, 2022.
NEVADA
PEER REVIEW
Nev. Rev. Stat. §49.117. “Review committee” defined
As used in NRS 49.117 to 49.123, inclusive, unless the context otherwise requires, “review committee” means:
1. An organized committee of:
(a) A hospital;
(b) An ambulatory surgical center;
(c) A health maintenance organization;
(d) An organization that provides emergency medical services pursuant to the provisions of chapter 450B of NRS;
(e) A medical facility as defined in NRS 449.0151; or
(f) an institution of the Nevada System of Higher Education or any of its affiliated organizations that provides a clinical program or practice related to the medical treatment or care of patients,
which has the responsibility of evaluating and improving the quality of care rendered by the parent organization;
2. A peer review committee of a medical or dental society; or
3. A medical review committee of a county or district board of health that certifies, licenses or regulates providers of emergency medical services pursuant to the provisions of chapter 450B of NRS, but only when functioning as a peer review committee.
§49.119. General rule of privilege
A review committee has a privilege to refuse to disclose and to prevent any other person from disclosing its proceedings and records and testimony given before it.
§49.121. Who may claim privilege
1. The privilege may be claimed by any member of the review committee, any person whose work has been reviewed by the committee or any person who has offered testimony, an opinion or documentary evidence before the committee.
2. The privilege is presumed to be claimed as to a particular matter unless a written waiver is signed by all persons entitled to claim the privilege as to that matter.
3. The privilege is not waived or lost if a person discloses information which is otherwise privileged to a governmental or regulatory agency of this state or the United States.
§49.123. Exceptions
There is no privilege under NRS 49.119 or 49.121 as to:
1. A statement made by an applicant for staff privileges at a hospital; or
2. Any information available from a record required to be made available pursuant to the provisions of NRS 629.061*.
§49.265. Committees for review of medical or dental care
1. Except as otherwise provided in subsection 2:
(a) The proceedings and records of:
(1) Organized committees of hospitals, and organized committees of organizations that provide emergency medical services pursuant to the provisions of chapter 450B of NRS, having the responsibility of evaluation and improvement of the quality of care rendered by those hospitals or organizations;
(2) Review committees of medical or dental societies; and
(3) Medical review committees of a county or district board of health that certifies, licenses or regulates providers of emergency medical services pursuant to the provisions of chapter 450B of NRS, but only when such committees function as peer review committees,
are not subject to discovery proceedings.
(b) No person who attends a meeting of any such committee may be required to testify concerning the proceedings at the meeting.
2. The provisions of subsection 1 do not apply to:
(a) Any statement made by a person in attendance at such a meeting who is a party to an action or proceeding the subject of which is reviewed at the meeting.
(b) Any statement made by a person who is requesting staff privileges at a hospital.
(c) The proceedings of any meeting considering an action against an insurance carrier alleging bad faith by the carrier in refusing to accept a settlement offer within the limits of the policy.
(d) Any matter relating to the proceedings or records of such committees which is contained in health care records furnished in accordance with NRS 629.061*.
*§629.061. Inspection; copies; use in public hearing; immunity of certain persons from civil action for disclosure
1. Each custodian of health care records shall make the health care records of a patient available for physical inspection by:
(a) The patient or a representative with written authorization from the patient;
(b) The personal representative of the estate of a deceased patient;
(c) Any trustee of a living trust created by a deceased patient;
(d) The parent or guardian of a deceased patient who died before reaching the age of majority;
(e) An investigator for the Attorney General or a grand jury investigating an alleged violation of NRS 200.495, 200.5091 to 200.50995, inclusive, or 422.540 to 422.570, inclusive;
(f) An investigator for the Attorney General investigating an alleged violation of NRS 616D.200, 616D.220, 616D.240 or 616D.300 to 616D.440, inclusive, or any fraud in the administration of chapter 616A, 616B, 616C, 616D or 617 of NRS or in the provision of benefits for industrial insurance;
(g) Any authorized representative or investigator of a state licensing board during the course of any investigation authorized by law; or
(h) Any coroner or medical examiner to identify a deceased person, determine a cause of death or perform other duties as authorized by law.
2. The records described in subsection 1 must be made available at a place within the depository convenient for physical inspection. Except as otherwise provided in subsection 3, if the records are located:
(a) Within this State, the custodian of health care records shall make any records requested pursuant to this section available for inspection within 10 working days after the request.
(b) Outside this State, the custodian of health care records shall make any records requested pursuant to this section available in this State for inspection within 20 working days after the request.
3. If the records described in subsection 1 are requested pursuant to paragraph (e), (f), (g) or (h) of subsection 1 and the investigator, grand jury, authorized representative, coroner or medical examiner, as applicable, declares that exigent circumstances exist which require the immediate production of the records, the custodian of health care records shall make any records which are located:
(a) Within this State available for inspection at the time of the request or at another reasonable time designated by the investigator, grand jury or authorized representative, as applicable.
(b) Outside this State available for inspection within 5 working days after the request.
4. Except as otherwise provided in subsection 5, the custodian of health care records shall also furnish a copy of the records to each person described in subsection 1 who requests it and pays the actual cost of postage, if any, the costs of making the copy, not to exceed 60 cents per page for photocopies and a reasonable cost for copies of X-ray photographs and other health care records produced by similar processes. No administrative fee or additional service fee of any kind may be charged for furnishing such a copy.
5. The custodian of health care records shall also furnish a copy of any records that are necessary to support a claim or appeal under any provision of the Social Security Act, 42 U.S.C. §§ 301 et seq., or under any federal or state financial needs-based benefit program, without charge, to a patient, or a representative with written authorization from the patient, who requests it, if the request is accompanied by documentation of the claim or appeal. A copying fee, not to exceed 60 cents per page for photocopies and a reasonable cost for copies of X-ray photographs and other health care records produced by similar processes, may be charged by the custodian for furnishing a second copy of the records to support the same claim or appeal. No administrative fee or additional service fee of any kind may be charged for furnishing such a copy. The custodian shall furnish the copy of the records requested pursuant to this subsection within 30 days after the date of receipt of the request, and the custodian shall not deny the furnishing of a copy of the records pursuant to this subsection solely because the patient is unable to pay the fees established in this subsection.
6. Each person who owns or operates an ambulance in this State shall make the records regarding a sick or injured patient available for physical inspection by:
(a) The patient or a representative with written authorization from the patient;
(b) The personal representative of the estate of a deceased patient;
(c) Any trustee of a living trust created by a deceased patient;
(d) The parent or guardian of a deceased patient who died before reaching the age of majority; or
(e) Any authorized representative or investigator of a state licensing board during the course of any investigation authorized by law.
The records must be made available at a place within the depository convenient for physical inspection, and inspection must be permitted at all reasonable office hours and for a reasonable length of time. The person who owns or operates an ambulance shall also furnish a copy of the records to each person described in this subsection who requests it and pays the actual cost of postage, if any, and the costs of making the copy, not to exceed 60 cents per page for photocopies. No administrative fee or additional service fee of any kind may be charged for furnishing a copy of the records.
7. Records made available to a representative or investigator must not be used at any public hearing unless:
(a) The patient named in the records has consented in writing to their use; or
(b) Appropriate procedures are utilized to protect the identity of the patient from public disclosure.
8. Subsection 7 does not prohibit:
(a) A state licensing board from providing to a provider of health care or owner or operator of an ambulance against whom a complaint or written allegation has been filed, or to his or her attorney, information on the identity of a patient whose records may be used in a public hearing relating to the complaint or allegation, but the provider of health care or owner or operator of an ambulance and the attorney shall keep the information confidential.
(b) The Attorney General from using health care records in the course of a civil or criminal action against the patient or provider of health care.
9. A provider of health care, custodian of health care records or owner or operator of an ambulance and his or her agents and employees are immune from any civil action for any disclosures made in accordance with the provisions of this section or any consequential damages.
10. For the purposes of this section:
(a) “Guardian” means a person who has qualified as the guardian of a minor pursuant to testamentary or judicial appointment, but does not include a guardian ad litem.
(b) “Health care records” has the meaning ascribed to it in NRS 629.021, but also includes any billing statement, ledger or other record of the amount charged for medical services or care provided to a patient.
(c) “Living trust” means an inter vivos trust created by a natural person:
(1) Which was revocable by the person during the lifetime of the person; and
(2) Who was one of the beneficiaries of the trust during the lifetime of the person.
(d) “Parent” means a natural or adoptive parent whose parental rights have not been terminated.
(e) “Personal representative” has the meaning ascribed to it in NRS 132.265**.
**§132.265. “Personal representative” defined
“Personal representative” includes an executor, an administrator, a successor personal representative, a special administrator and persons who perform substantially the same function under the law governing their status.