Two OB-GYNs, Caitlin Bernard, MD, and Caroline Rouse, MD, filed a complaint earlier this month after Indiana settled another lawsuit with anti-abortion group Voices for Life by agreeing to release the records upon request.
Physicians are required to file TPRs after performing an abortion in the state, and have been a target of other lawsuits in Indiana after the state instituted its near-total abortion ban in 2022. Marion County Judge James Joven said in his decision that the documents do not fall under public records law, according to the report.
“A [TPR] is created by a medical provider as the consequence of a medical service, and it contains highly sensitive information about a patient’s demographics, medical history and medical care that was obtained by the provider while treating the patient,” the judge wrote in his ruling. “The statute directs the Department to compile a ‘public report’ based on data contained in the TPRs on a quarterly basis, suggesting that the TPRs themselves are not meant to be public.”
He added that releasing the reports would interfere with patients’ privacy and the patient-physician relationship.
At the Becker’s 32nd Annual Meeting: The Business and Operations of ASCs, taking place October 29-31 in Chicago, ASC leaders, surgeons and healthcare executives will explore strategies to drive growth, enhance operational performance, navigate reimbursement challenges and prepare for the future of ambulatory surgery. Apply for complimentary registration now.