HIPAA Privacy Rules and Physician Reporting

In communicating with clinicians, public health officials have several roles  

Several Internet sites may be helpful for clinicians who cannot find local and state public health contact information. The CDC Web site has a link to state health departments at http //www.cdc.gov/doc.do/id/0900f3ec80226c7a (last accessed 3-18-06). Alternatively, the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials has a directory of state public health agencies at http //www.statepublichealth.org/ index.php (last accessed 3-18-06), and the National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO) has a directory of local health departments at http //lhadirectory.naccho.org/phdir/(last accessed 3-18-06). 

Given clinician concerns regarding patient privacy, the CDC has produced a document that summarizes the HIPAA Privacy Rule regarding reporting information to public health authorities (6). Although the HIPAA Privacy Rule does not require reporting, it allows healthcare organizations and clinicians to report protected health information (PHI) to public health officials. PHI includes individually identifiable health information transmissible electronically or in any other form. The three types of individually identifiable health information concern (6)  

All state laws require reporting of specific communicable diseases and unusual disease occurrences. The US Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) recognizes the importance of sharing PHI to accomplish essential public health objectives (6). Therefore, the HIPAA Privacy rule expressly permits clinicians and hospitals to share PHI for public health purposes (6). Specifically, HIPAA allows covered entities, without individual authorization, to disclose PHI to a public 

By laiw/ Or gDn Clinicians must report diagnoses iconfinned dr su pecied) of the lolloping infections, diseafies, and conditions. 

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