2021 Oklahoma Statutes
Title 63. Public Health and Safety
§63-1-243. Requirements concerning perinatal mental health disorders.

A. As used in this section:

1. "Hospital" shall have the same meaning as such term is defined in Section 1-701 of Title 63 of the Oklahoma Statutes;

2. "Licensed health care professional" means a licensed allopathic or osteopathic physician, a licensed Advanced Practice Registered Nurse or a licensed physician assistant;

3. "Postnatal care" means an office visit to a licensed health care professional occurring after birth, with reference to the infant or mother;

4. "Prenatal care" means an office visit to a licensed health care professional for pregnancy-related care occurring before birth; and

5. "Questionnaire" means an assessment tool administered by a licensed health care professional to detect perinatal mental health disorders, such as the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale, the Postpartum Depression Screening Scale, the Beck Depression Inventory, the Patient Health Questionnaire or other validated assessment methods.

B. The State Board of Medical Licensure and Supervision, the State Board of Osteopathic Examiners and the State Board of Nursing may work with hospitals and licensed health care professionals in this state to develop policies, procedures, information and educational materials to meet each of the following requirements concerning perinatal mental health disorders:

1. Licensed health care professionals providing prenatal care to women shall provide education to women and, if possible and with permission, to their families about perinatal mental health disorders in accordance with the formal opinions and recommendations of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists;

2. All hospitals that provide labor and delivery services in this state shall provide new mothers, prior to discharge following childbirth, and, if possible, shall provide fathers and other family members with complete information about perinatal mental health disorders, including its symptoms, methods of coping with the illness and treatment resources;

3. Licensed health care professionals providing prenatal care at a prenatal visit shall invite each pregnant patient to complete a questionnaire and shall review the completed questionnaire in accordance with the formal opinions and recommendations of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. Assessment for perinatal mental health disorders shall be repeated when, in the professional judgment of the licensed health care professional, a reasonable possibility exists that the woman suffers from perinatal mental health disorders;

4. Licensed health care professionals providing postnatal care to women shall invite each patient to complete a questionnaire and shall review the completed questionnaire in accordance with the formal opinions and recommendations of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists; and

5. Licensed health care professionals providing pediatric care to an infant shall invite the infant's mother to complete a questionnaire at any well-baby checkup at which the mother is present prior to the infant's first birthday, and shall review the completed questionnaire in accordance with the formal opinions and recommendations of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, in order to ensure that the health and well-being of the infant are not compromised by an undiagnosed perinatal mental health disorder in the mother. In order to share results from an assessment with the mother's primary licensed health care professional, consent should be obtained from the mother in accordance with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996, 29 U.S.C.A., Section 1181 et seq. If the mother is determined to present an acute danger to herself or someone else, consent is not required.

Added by Laws 2019, c. 181, § 1, eff. Nov. 1, 2019.

NOTE: Editorially renumbered from § 1-242 of this title to avoid duplication in numbering.