Wash. Rev. Code § 70.168.090

Statewide data registry — Quality assurance program — Confidentiality

The department must create a “statewide data registry to collect and analyze data on the incidence, severity, and causes of trauma, including traumatic brain injury” in order to improve prehospital and hospital trauma care delivery.  The department may, in compliance with applicable medical records privacy rules, make this information available to researchers.

All hospitals, facilities, and providers that “provide level I, II, III, IV, or V trauma care services, level I, II, or III pediatric trauma care services, level I, level I-pediatric, II, or III trauma-related rehabilitative services, and prehospital trauma-related services” must submit data to the registry. The department may establish rules requiring other hospitals and providers to submit data. 

Quality assurance programs must be established by facilities providing levels I through III trauma services for the purpose of evaluating the delivery of care, patient outcomes, and compliance with trauma system regulations.  Additionally, the quality assurance program may choose to “evaluate emergency cardiac and stroke care delivery.”

Information that identifies patient, provider, and facility outcomes is confidential. Such information may not be discovered, subpoenaed, or admitted into evidence.

All information created and maintained by a quality assurance program is not subject to discovery, subpoena, or admission into evidence. However, a judge may determine in camera to admit such information subject to a protective order in actions relating to (1) the department’s designation of a facility as a trauma center; (2) the revocation of a facility’s status as a trauma center; or (3) the “restriction or revocation” of a provider’s clinical or staff privileges. Patients must consent to the public disclosure of any information that identifies them.