Hawaii Administrative Rules
Title 11 - DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH
Subtitle 1 - GENERAL DEPARTMENTAL PROVISIONS
Chapter 156 - COMMUNICABLE DISEASES
Section 11-156-3 - Reporting of communicable diseases

(a) Exhibit A, "Disease Reporting Requirements for Health Care Providers in Hawaii (June, 2007)," Exhibit B, "Hawaii Laboratory Reporting Requirements (June, 2007), and Exhibit C, "Hawaii Isolation and Control Requirements (June, 2007)", located at the end of this chapter, are made a part of this chapter. The diseases and agents listed in Exhibits A and B are declared by the director to be communicable and dangerous to public health and shall be reported to the department by the methods described therein.

(b) Any communicable disease not listed in Exhibit A or Exhibit B occurring beyond usual frequency, or of unusual or uncertain etiology, including diseases which might be caused by a genetically engineered organism, shall be reported to the department by telephone.

(c) When the director determines that any-communicable disease not designated in Exhibit A or Exhibit B has become a danger to the public health, or when control measures as specified in Exhibit C for a designated communicable disease are inadequate to prevent it from becoming a danger to the public health, such communicable disease may be declared notifiable pursuant to section 91-3(b), HRS, and be incorporated into Exhibits A, B, and C.

(d) Every health care provider caring for a person with a diagnosis, or provisional diagnosis in the absence of definitive test results for confirmation, shall notify the department as described in Exhibit A. If the case is not known to have already been reported to the department, the practitioner responsible for the management of that case or health care provider shall report that case to the department. If neither the practitioner responsible for the case nor the health care provider reports, both shall be considered in default of their responsibility to report. The report shall conform to the mode of report and time frame specified for each disease or agent under "Reporting Category" in Exhibit A. This requirement applies to all settings, in which patient care is provided, including passenger ships discharging passengers in the State of Hawaii and all facilities performing medical evaluations, including blood banks.

(e) If a practitioner or health care provider submits a specimen to an out-of-state laboratory for analysis, the practitioner or health care provider shall report the test results to the department in accordance with Exhibit B, "Hawaii Laboratory Reporting Requirements (June, 2007)."

(f) All information received by the department pursuant to this section shall be kept confidential.

(g) Failure to comply with the requirements of this chapter is a misdemeanor, punishable as provided in chapter 325, HRS.