90-590-120 Me. Code R. § 1
The Maine Health Data Organization (MHDO) is charged with collecting health care data. This Chapter governs the release of data submitted to the MHDO. The purpose of this rule is to specify the permissible uses of the data; Level I, II, and III Data file types; the process for which data requests will be reviewed and data released; public notice of data requests; the MHDO Data Use Agreement (MHDO DUA), MHDO internal use of the data, and the security and protection of the MHDO Data.
MHDO Data are obtained to fulfill MHDO's legislative mandate to create and maintain a useful, objective, reliable and comprehensive health information database that is used to improve the health of Maine citizens and to issue reports promoting public transparency of health care quality, outcomes, and costs. The MHDO will make data publicly available and accessible to the broadest extent consistent with the laws protecting individual privacy, and proprietary information.
The primary use of the MHDO Data is to produce meaningful analysis in pursuit of improved health, health equity, and health care quality for Maine people. Acceptable uses of MHDO Data include, but are not limited to, study of health care disparities, health care costs, utilization, and outcomes; benchmarking; quality analysis; longitudinal research; other research; and administrative or planning purposes.
Data released under the prior rule Chapter 120 shall continue to be subject to those rules and agreements signed pursuant to those rules. Those agreements regarding use of MHDO Data shall remain effective until they end, are terminated by the MHDO Executive Director, or are replaced with updated MHDO DUA's. MHDO data released under prior rule chapter 120 shall remain the property of MHDO.
Should any section, paragraph, sentence, clause, or phrase of these rules be declared unconstitutional or invalid for any reason, the remainder of said rule will not be affected thereby.
90-590 C.M.R. ch. 120, § 1