Disease Reporting
The public health system relies on accurate and timely reporting of communicable diseases by health care professionals to monitor community health and guide preventive actions.
Disease reporting enables quick response to outbreaks and contributes to national disease surveillance.
Healthcare professionals must report certain communicable diseases to their local health department to aid public health surveillance and control. The specific diseases that must be reported are determined by state and federal law, and may include illnesses like influenza, measles, and hepatitis. Reporting is crucial for identifying trends, implementing prevention strategies, and responding to potential outbreaks.
See below for answers to some frequently asked questions.
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Healthcare professionals report communicable diseases to public health departments to support efforts in preventing further transmission within the community. Monitoring disease trends allows public health agencies to allocate resources more effectively and respond to where the need is greatest. -
The Code of State Regulations 19 CSR 20-20.020 identifies certain diseases which pose a risk to public health as they can be spread readily from person to person. In some cases, certain diseases result in high fatality rates and can have major public health impact.
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Personal health information is protected under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA). HIPAA allows for the disclosure of health information to public health authorities for the purposes of preventing the spread of disease in the community.
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The Communicable Disease Investigation Reference Manual is a manual used in the state to provide technical assistance to public health disease investigators. It contains disease specific information and reporting criteria to assist with disease surveillance activities.
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The NNDSS surveillance system helps professionals understand diseases and their spread. Each state has laws requiring certain diseases to be reported at the state level. Uniform data across states allows for data driven decisions to be made regarding outbreak detection and control.
Disease Case Report Form For Healthcare Providers
Please complete this form in it’s entirety and fax to 417.335.5727.