Reporting Requirements
Any physician who diagnoses or treats a patient for active TB disease is required to report the case to the local health department within 24 hours by the most rapid means available, e.g. telephone, Fax, etc.
The head of a medical care facility that is providing diagnosis or treatment for active TB disease is required to make the same report within the same time frame. Medical units within correctional facilities are also included in these provisions.
Subsequent and ongoing reports concerning the cases are required on a regular basis, especially when there is a change in the treatment regimen, suspicion of treatment failure, or cessation of treatment for any reason.
Treatment and Adherance Plans
A treatment plan is required for all patients with confirmed TB disease and those who are suspects.
Whenever treatment has been started, even treatment based on only a suspicion of active TB disease, a treatment plan must be in place.
The treatment plan must be submitted to and approved by the local public health director prior to the case/suspects discharge from any medical facility, correctional center, or other similar facility. This requirement applies to both confirmed and suspected cases of TB disease.
For patients with newly diagnosed TB or TB not previously reported, the treatment plan must be submitted to and approved, prior to discharge, by the local public health director of the patients destination address.
For patients with previously diagnosed TB, who are known to the health department, and whose TB treatment plans have not changed, the public health department of the patients destination address must be notified only of the impending release from a hospital or correctional facility.
Exception For patients who are under court ordered isolation, the local public health department must be contacted prior to release from a hospital or correctional facility to approve this release.
Records
Reporting forms and treatment plans templates are available on the VDH DTC website, /epidemiology/diseaseprevention/tuberculosis/guidebook/index.htm
Obtain signature on records release form while the patient is present!
Local public health departments will require the following copies of patient treatment records:
For additional information and assistance, contact:
Division of Disease Prevention
Telephone: 804/864-7906
Fax: 804/371-0248
