Rhode Island Code of Regulations
Title 216 - Department of health
Chapter 30 - Infectious Diseases
Subchapter 05 - Infectious Diseases
Part 1 - Reporting and Testing of Infectious, Environmental, and Occupational Diseases
Section 216-RICR-30-05-1.4 - Confidentiality Provisions
Universal Citation: 216 RI Code of Rules 30 05 1.4
Current through September 18, 2024
A. All information concerning cases or suspected cases shall be held in confidence in accordance with the provisions of R.I. Gen Laws § 5-37-3 and all other applicable State and Federal statutes and Regulations.
B. Pursuant to the HIPAA Privacy Rule, disclosures to RIDOH without individual authorization are permitted for the purpose of preventing or controlling disease, injury, or disability, including but not limited to public health surveillance, investigation, and intervention.
1.4.1
Persons and Entities Responsible
for Reporting Diseases
A. The
following individuals and entities attending the case or suspected case are
required to report the diseases listed in § 1.5.3 of this Part:
1. Physicians
2. Physician assistants
3. Certified registered nurse
practitioners
4. Clinical
laboratories
5. Hospitals (from
both inpatient and outpatient settings)
a.
When a diagnosis or suspected diagnosis of a case is made within a hospital,
the facility administrator, or his/her designee (e.g., infection control
practitioner), must ensure the reporting of the case in accordance with the
procedures outlined in these Regulations.
6. All other health care facilities,
including but not limited to: organized ambulatory care facility, school-based
health center, college/university-health center, freestanding emergency care
facility, home care/home nursing care provider, hospice, birth center, nursing
facility, rehabilitation hospital center, freestanding ambulatory surgical
center, kidney disease treatment center, blood centers, and prison health
services.
a. When a diagnosis or suspected
diagnosis of a case is made within a licensed health care facility, the
facility administrator or medical director, or his/her designee (e.g.,
infection control practitioner), must ensure the reporting of the case in
accordance with the procedures outlined in these Regulations.
7. Veterinarians who have
knowledge of: a single case of rare and/or unusual veterinary diagnosis that
has the potential to cause illness in humans, or knowledge of outbreaks of
unusual zoonotic vectorborne diseases that can cause illness in
humans;
B. It is
recommended that the following individuals and entities report the diseases
listed in § 1.5.3 of this Part:
1.
Certified school nurse-teachers who have knowledge of a single case of rare
and/or unusual diagnoses, or knowledge of outbreaks of diseases;
2. Dentists who have knowledge of a single
case of rare and/or unusual diagnoses, or knowledge of outbreaks of
disease;
3. Other entities or
persons (such as day care centers, drug treatment facilities, travel clinics,
social service agencies that serve the homeless, camp counselors, funeral
directors, transportation authority, assisted living facilities,
community-based organizations that screen for infectious diseases, etc.) who
have knowledge of a single case of rare and/or unusual diagnoses or knowledge
of outbreaks of diseases.
C. Exemptions
1. Reporting of the diseases listed in §
1.5.3 of this Part shall not be required in the following cases:
a. In research protocols and all other
situations where the person conducting the research or ordering the test is
unaware of the identity of the person being tested.
b. Anonymous HIV testing.
Disclaimer: These regulations may not be the most recent version. Rhode Island may have more current or accurate information. We make no warranties or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness, or adequacy of the information contained on this site or the information linked to on the state site. Please check official sources.
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