Emergency medical or funeral service worker exposed to contagious or infectious disease may request notice of test results – Ohio Rev. Code Ann. § 3701.248

An emergency medical services worker or funeral services worker who believes that he has sustained significant exposure through his contact with a patient may submit to the health care facility or coroner that received the patient a written request to be notified of the results of any test performed on the patient to determine the presence of a contagious or infectious disease.  The request must include:

• Name, address and telephone number of the individual submitting the request;
• Name of the individual’s employer, or the entity for which the worker volunteers, and the individual’s supervisor; and
• Date, time, location and manner of the exposure

The health care facility or coroner must notify an emergency medical services worker if no test has been performed to determine the presence of a contagious disease, no diagnosis has been made, or if the result of the test is negative within ten days of the request.  The facility or coroner must notify a funeral services worker of any such situation immediately.  

If a funeral services worker is informed that no test has been performed, the worker may have a test performed on the patient in accordance with rules adopted by the department of health.

Within two days of determining the presence of a contagious or infectious disease or receipt of a confirmed positive test result, the facility or coroner must orally notify the requestor, his supervisor, and the infection control committee or other appropriate body.  The facility or coroner must follow-up with a written notification within three days of making the oral notification.

If the request for notification is made by an emergency medical services worker and the health care facility does not have the necessary information because the patient in question has been transferred from that facility, the facility must assist the worker in locating the patient and securing the requested information from the facility that treated or is currently treating the patient.  If the patient has died, the health care facility must give the worker the name and address of the coroner who received the patient.   

In no event may a notification contain the name of the patient.