WAC 246-101-105   Duties of the health care provider.  Health care providers shall:

     (1) Notify the local health department where the patient resides, or, in the event that patient residence cannot be determined, the local health department in which the health care providers practice, regarding:

     (a) Cases or suspected cases of notifiable conditions specified as notifiable to local health departments in Table HC-1 of WAC 246-101-101;

     (b) Cases of conditions designated as notifiable by the local health officer within that health officer's jurisdiction;

     (c) Outbreaks or suspected outbreaks of disease including, but not limited to, suspected or confirmed outbreaks of varicella, influenza, viral meningitis, health care-associated infection suspected due to contaminated food products or devices, or environmentally related disease;

     (d) Known barriers which might impede or prevent compliance with orders for infection control or quarantine; and

     (e) Name, address, and other pertinent information for any case, suspected case or carrier refusing to comply with prescribed infection control measures.

     (2) Notify the department of conditions designated as notifiable to the local health department when:

     (a) A local health department is closed or representatives of the local health department are unavailable at the time a case or suspected case of an immediately notifiable condition occurs;

     (b) A local health department is closed or representatives of the local health department are unavailable at the time an outbreak or suspected outbreak of communicable disease occurs.

     (3) Notify the department of pesticide poisoning that is fatal, causes hospitalization or occurs in a cluster.

     (4) Notify the department regarding cases of notifiable conditions specified as notifiable to the department in Table HC-1 of WAC 246-101-101.

     (5) Assure that positive preliminary test results and positive final test results for notifiable conditions of specimens referred to laboratories outside of Washington for testing are correctly notified to the local health department of the patient's residence or the department as specified in Table Lab-1 of WAC 246-101-201. This requirement can be satisfied by:

     (a) Arranging for the referral laboratory to notify either the local health department, the department, or both; or

     (b) Forwarding the notification of the test result from the referral laboratory to the local health department, the department, or both.

     (6) Cooperate with public health authorities during investigation of:

     (a) Circumstances of a case or suspected case of a notifiable condition or other communicable disease; and

     (b) An outbreak or suspected outbreak of disease.

     (7) Provide adequate and understandable instruction in disease control measures to each patient who has been diagnosed with a case of a communicable disease, and to contacts who may have been exposed to the disease.

     (8) Maintain responsibility for deciding date of discharge for hospitalized tuberculosis patients.

     (9) Notify the local health officer of intended discharge of tuberculosis patients in order to assure appropriate outpatient arrangements are arranged.

     (10) By July 1, 2011, when ordering a laboratory test for a notifiable condition as identified in Table HC-1 of WAC 246-101-101, providers must provide the laboratory with the following information for each test order:

     (a) Patient name;

     (b) Patient address including zip code;

     (c) Patient date of birth;

     (d) Patient sex;

     (e) Name of the principal health care provider;

     (f) Telephone number of the principal health care provider;

     (g) Type of test requested;

     (h) Type of specimen;

     (i) Date of ordering specimen collection.



[Statutory Authority: RCW 43.20.050. 11-02-065, § 246-101-105, filed 1/4/11, effective 2/4/11. Statutory Authority: RCW 43.20.050 and 70.104.030. 00-23-120, § 246-101-105, filed 11/22/00, effective 12/23/00.]