§53.1. Discharge plan; healthcare provider notification requirements
If a patient is admitted for inpatient behavioral healthcare services pursuant to an
emergency certificate issued in accordance with R.S. 28:53, the individual who is responsible
for discharge planning at the healthcare facility where the patient has been admitted shall
make a reasonable effort to do all of the following:
(1) Provide written or telephonic notification to any healthcare professional that is
currently providing behavioral health services to the patient, if known, of the date and time
that the patient is scheduled to be discharged unless the patient objects to that information
being communicated.
(2) Provide written or telephonic notification within twenty-four hours of discharge
to any healthcare professional that the patient is being referred to for follow-up behavioral
health services. The healthcare professional that the patient is being referred to shall be
provided with a summary of the patient's medical history and any current mental health
conditions that the patient is suffering from at the time of discharge. The summary shall be
transmitted no later than the date that the patient has been scheduled for follow-up behavioral
services.
(3) Provide to the patient educational documents published by the Louisiana
Department of Health prior to or at the time of discharge. The Louisiana Department of
Health shall create and publish educational documents that provide information directed to
the patient and the patient's family members, caregivers, or friends about the warning signs
of self-harm and the importance of seeking behavioral health services after an admission
pursuant to an emergency certificate has ended. The documentation shall instruct the patient
and the patient's family members, caregivers, or friends to seek assistance from a healthcare
professional to provide ongoing care and clarify that medical privacy laws do not prevent a
family member, friend, or other loved one from communicating the patient's condition to a
healthcare professional treating the patient.
Acts 2024, No. 737, §1.