| (a) A licensed abortion facility shall develop and
implement written discharge instructions which shall include:
(1) a list of complications (developed by the facility
in conjunction with a physician who practices in the facility) that
warrant the patient contacting the facility, which shall include,
but not be limited to:
(A) pain;
(B) fever; and
(C) bleeding;
(2) a statement of the facility's plan to respond to
the patient in the event the patient experiences any of the complications
listed in the discharge instructions to include:
(A) a telephone number by which the patient may reach
the physician, or other health care personnel employed by the physician
or by the facility at which the abortion was performed or induced
with access to the woman's relevant medical records, 24 hours a day
to request assistance for any complications that arise from the performance
or induction of the abortion or ask health-related questions regarding
the abortion;
(B) the name and telephone number of the nearest hospital
to the home of the patient at which an emergency arising from the
abortion would be treated;
(C) assurance that the responding individual shall
be a physician, advanced practice registered nurse, physician assistant,
registered nurse, or licensed vocational nurse; and
(D) information that the patient may also contact the
emergency medical service or present for care at the emergency room
of a hospital in addition to contacting the facility; and
(3) information concerning the need for a post-abortion
examination.
(b) A facility shall provide a patient with a copy
of the written discharge instructions described in subsection (a)
of this section.
(c) The facility shall develop and implement written
policies and procedures for:
(1) examination or referral of all patients who report
complications, as identified in the list required by subsection (a)(1)
of this section, to the facility after an abortion procedure. The
written policy and procedure shall require:
(A) the facility to maintain a written system of documentation
of patients who report post-abortion complications within 14 days
of the procedure date;
(B) documentation of the facility's action following
a patient's reporting of post-abortion complications to be placed
in the patient's record; and
(C) the patients' records to be maintained for adults
for seven years and for minors five years past the age the patient
reaches majority; and
(2) periodic review of the record keeping system for
post-abortion complications to identify problems and potential problems
and to make changes in order to resolve the problems.
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