Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 1200-08-06-.11 - Nursing Home Records and Reporting Requirements

All nursing homes must report the following:

•         Joint annual statistical report to the department of health;
•         Each case of communicable disease to the local county health office;
•         Abuse of a patient or an unexpected occurrence or accident that results in the death or serious injury of a patient to the department of health within seven business days of identification of such event;
•         Specific incidents that might result in a disruption of services at the nursing home to the department of health within seven days of identification of such incident;

Grounds for disciplinary action include:

•         Failure to report an adverse event;
•         Failure to submit an acceptable plan of correction to the department of health as required;
•         Failure to comply with a plan of correction; and
•         Failure to report a communicable disease.

Event reports must remain confidential and are not considered a public record.  Information contained in such reports may not be disclosed except:

•       In a disciplinary proceeding conducted by the department of health;
•       In a disciplinary proceeding conducted by the appropriate regulatory board;
•       If transmitted by the department of health to an appropriate regulatory board;
•       If shared by the department of health with an appropriate governmental agency responsible for regulatory oversight of the nursing home;
•       If requested, the department of health must reveal its awareness that a specified incident has been reported; and
•       As appropriate, notification of the affected patient and the patient’s family by the nursing home.

The department may copy any portion of a nursing home medical record relating to the reported event unless otherwise prohibited. 

The department will annually provide the Tennessee board for licensing health care facilities with an aggregate report summarizing by type the number of unusual events and incidents reported by nursing homes to the department for the preceding calendar year.