Fast Facts on Reportable Disease Forms and Privacy Now Available

All 50 states plus the District of Columbia have statutes and regulations requiring physicians and laboratories (and typically a variety of other health care providers and institutions) to report cases of certain diseases and conditions to the state and/or local health department. Reports of disease are often made after someone with a reportable illness or health condition seeks treatment with a physician or hospital, or when a laboratory evaluation of a patient sample confirms the presence of a particular disease. The reporting entity does not need patient consent to submit disease reports to state and local health agencies because that disclosure is permissible under HIPAA’s exceptions for public health practice and disclosures required by law. Each state sets out what information reporting entities must provide to the health department. Although this information varies from state to state, several pieces of personal identifying information are typically required. 
 
To learn more about how diseases are reported and how that information is used, we invite you to read our Fast Facts by clicking on the link below. 

Fast Facts: What Identifying Information Is Collected On Reportable Disease Forms and How Is It Used?