[§324-43]  Use of collected information. 
(a)  The information collected under this part shall be used by the department
of health or researchers only for the purpose of advancing medical and public
health research, medical education, or education of the public in the interest
of reducing morbidity or mortality, and only as approved by an institutional
review board.



(b)  The identity of, or any information which
alone or in combination with other reasonably available information that may be
used to identify, any person whose condition or treatment has been studied
under this part shall be confidential.



(c)  If the [birth defects program] or
researchers intend to collect additional information directly from a patient or
patient's relative for research studies approved by an institutional review
board, the researcher shall first obtain approval for the request from the
patient's attending physician.  The use of the additional information obtained
by researchers shall be governed by subsection (a). [L 2002, c 252, pt of §2]