Question

1.) Describe compliance reporting with public health statutes for communicable diseases.

2.) Describe compliance reporting with public health statues in abuse, neglect, and exploitation.

3.) Describe compliance reporting with public health statue sounds of care.  

Answer 1

Question 1 - The clinician or other responsible health care worker should without delay notify the local health authority that a communicable or a peculiar disease exists within the particular jurisdiction. Administrative regulations that describe which communicable diseases are to be reported and how they should be reported may vary greatly from one region to another because of different conditions and different disease frequencies. This manual presents a basic reporting scheme. The purpose of disease reports is to provide necessary and timely information to permit the institution of appropriate investigation and control measures by responsible health authorities. In addition, the reporting scheme encourages uniformity in morbidity and mortality reporting so that data among different health jurisdictions within a country and among nations can be compared.

A reporting system functions at four levels. The first is the collection of the basic data in the local community where the disease occurs. The data are next assembled at district, state or provincial levels. The third stage is the aggregation of the information under national auspices. Finally, for certain prescribed diseases, report is made by the national health authority to the WHO.

Report of Cases: Each local health authority, in conformity with regulations of higher authority, will determine what diseases are to be reported routinely. Procedures should be developed that indicate, who is responsible for reporting, the nature of the report required, and the manner in which reports are forwarded to the next superior jurisdiction.Physicians or other responsible health care workers are required to report all notifiable illnesses that come to their attention. In addition, the statutes or regulations of many localities require reporting by hospital, householder or other persons having knowledge of a case of a reportable disease. Within hospitals, a specific officer should be charged with the responsibility for submitting required reports. These may he individual case reports or reports of groups of cases (collective reports).

Case reports of a communicable disease provide minimal identifying data of name, address, diagnosis, age, gender and date of report for each patient, and, in some instances, other suspected cases. Dates of onset and basis for diagnosis are also useful. The right of privacy of the individual must be respected at all levels of the health system.Collective reports are the number of cases, by diagnosis that occur within a prescribed time and without individual identifying data.

Question 2 - All health care providers and employees and operators of health care facilities are required by law to report suspected cases of abuse, neglect and/or exploitation of children and dependent adults when observed in the course of employment.

Reporting Guidelines for Children Oral and written reports should contain the following information as available: 1) Names and address of the child and the child’s parents or other persons responsible for the child’s care 2)Child’s age and location at the time of the report 3) Nature and extent of injuries, including any evidence of previous injuries 4) Names, ages and conditions of other children in the same household 5) Any other information that may be helpful in establishing the cause of the abuse or neglect 6) Identity of the person(s) responsible for the abuse or neglect 7) Your name and address

Reporting Guidelines for Adults

Adult Abuse Report available at Suspected Dependent Adult Abuse Report or your own form as long as it includes the following information as available: 1) Names and addresses of the dependent adult and people responsible for the dependent adult’s care 2)Dependent adult’s age and location at the time of the report    3) Reason the adult is believed to be dependent 4) Nature and extent of the abuse, including evidence of previous abuse 5) Information about any suspected abuse of other dependent adults in the same residence 6) Information that might be helpful in establishing the cause of the abuse and identity of person(s) responsible for the abuse 7) Information that might help assist the dependent adult 8) Your name and address