Confidentiality of certain information contained in physician workforce surveys

All personal identifying information contained in records provided by physicians licensed under chapter 458 or this chapter in response to physician workforce surveys required as a condition of license renewal and held by the Department of Health is confidential and exempt from s. 119.07(1) and s. 24(a), Art. I of the State Constitution. Information made confidential and exempt by this section shall be disclosed: (1) With the express written consent of the individual to whom the information pertains or the individual’s legally authorized representative. (2) By court order upon a showing of good cause. (3) To a research entity, if the entity seeks the records or data pursuant to a research protocol approved by the Department of Health, maintains the records or data in accordance with the approved protocol, and enters into a purchase and data-use agreement with the department, the fee provisions of which are consistent with s. 119.07(4). The department may deny a request for records or data if the protocol provides for intrusive follow-back contacts, does not plan for the destruction of confidential records after the research is concluded, is administratively burdensome, or does not have scientific merit. The agreement must restrict the release of information that would identify individuals, must limit the use of records or data to the approved research protocol, and must prohibit any other use of the records or data. Copies of records or data issued pursuant to this subsection remain the property of the department.