Between the years 1900 and 2000, the life expectancy of an individual in the United States at birth rose 62%. About 83% of this improvement is related to public health initiatives and public health surveillance. Through organizations, such as the CDC, policies and programs targeted at communicable disease prevention and treatment were implemented. The CDC monitors locations of outbreak if a prescribed treatment is effective. Reporting of these instances, however, occurs at the local level, meaning by the clinical care setting.

Staes, J., Wilson, M., & Lenert, L. (2014). Public Health Informatics. Chapter 11. In R. Nelson and N. Staggers (Eds.) Health Informatics: An Interprofessional Approach. 1st Ed. St. Louis, MO: Elsevier

https://wwwn.cdc.gov/nndss/data-collection.html

According to the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS), all laboratories and/or physicians are required by law to report cases of disease outlined in the reportable disease document published by the CDC. In the state of Michigan, any health care provider is authorized to report a positive test result. This means we as nurses are empowered to report as well.

http://www.michigan.gov/documents/hlth_care_prof_guide_167371_7.pdf

Knowing which diseases to report can be challenging. As new conditions and diseases are identified, the list is modified to remain as current as possible. Here is a link to the diseases required by the state of Michigan to be reported in 2016: http://www.michigan.gov/documents/hlth_care_prof_guide_167371_7.pdf

This list contains just under 80 pathogens that health care providers must report. All reporting must be completed within 24 hours of a positive identification, unless otherwise specified by the CDC.

Currently, our organization utilizes a manual reporting system. As our organization moves forward with meaningful use as it pertains to the electronic health record (EHR), electronic laboratory reporting options will be researched. In a recent study by Johnson, Williams, Lee & Bradley (2011), ELR has proven more timely in reporting but improvements with completeness of documentation still need to addressed. I will keep you updated as more information becomes available.

The MDHHS states when reporting a disease to the health department, the name of the disease/pathogen identified must be given along with approximate time of onset of symptoms, stage of the disease (if known), and if there is suspicion of further disease cases. In addition, health care personnel need to report the patient's name, date of birth, age, gender, addressing, phone number, and any other contact information necessary. Please also make sure to disclose the name of your facility when reporting.

http://www.michigan.gov/mdhhs/0,5885,7-339-71550_5104_31274-12538--,00.html

In 1996, when the HIPAA laws were instated, there was special consideration with sharing personal health information (PHI) with local health departments. Since in the State of Michigan, health care providers were determined to be "exempt" to allow reporting of mandatory communicable diseases and immunizations. The rationale is that the data provided is utilized for surveillance and prevention of communicable disease outbreaks. For further reference, please visit http://www.michigan.gov/mdhhs/0,5885,7-339-71550_5104_31274-12538--,00.html

References
Johnson, M. G., Williams, J., Lee, A., & Bradley, K. K., (2014) Completeness and timeliness of electronic vs. conventional laboratory reporting for communicable disease surveillance – Oklahoma, 2011. Public Health Reports. 129 (3): 261-266
Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, (2016). Communicable disease reporting in Michigan and HIPPA. http://www.michigan.gov/mdhhs/0,5885,7-339-71550_5104_31274-12538--,00.html
Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, (2016). A summary of the Michigan communicable disease rules. http://www.michigan.gov/documents/hlth_care_prof_guide_167371_7.pdf
Staes, C.J., Wilson, M., & Lenert, L., (2014). Public Health Informatics. Chapter 11. Public Health Informatics. Chapter 11. In R. Nelson and N. Staggers (Eds.) Health Informatics: An interprofessional approach. 1st Ed. St. Louis MO: Elsevier
State of Michigan, (2016). 2016 Reportable diseases in Michigan- By pathogen: A guide for physicians, health care providers and laboratories. https://www.michigan.gov/documents/mdch/Reportable_Diseases_Michigan_by_Pat...