Responsibilities and Duties of Health Care Providers

Section 690.1320   Responsibilities and Duties of Health Care Providers a)         Every health care provider shall provide adequate, understandable instruction to the following persons in control measures designed to prevent the spread of disease: 1)         Each patient with a dangerously contagious or infectious disease who is under his or her care; and 2)         Other persons as appropriate to prevent the spread of disease. b)         Every health care provider shall cooperate with the Department and the certified local health department during the investigation of: 1)         A case or suspected case of a dangerously contagious or infectious disease; and 2)         An outbreak or suspected outbreak of a dangerously contagious or infectious disease. c)         If any health care provider having under observation or care any person with a dangerously contagious disease is of the opinion that the person is uncooperative or unwilling to adhere to prescribed treatment or medical instruction, the health care provider shall report the facts to the Department or certified local health department, which shall investigate or have investigated the circumstances alleged. d)         If a person subject to isolation or quarantine is already in a health care facility, the Department or the certified local health department may direct the facility to hold the person.  If a health care facility has grounds to believe that a patient may leave the health care facility without authorization, the health care facility shall contact the Department or certified local health department immediately and be prepared to provide the Department or certified local health department with all records and information related to the treatment and management of the person.  The facility shall take all reasonable measures to encourage the person to remain in the facility through non-coercive means such as education and counseling, and, when necessary, by utilizing appropriate restrictions to prevent the person from exposing others to the disease.  The facility shall not allow persons considered infectious and inappropriate for discharge to leave the facility by signing out against medical advise.  Upon receipt of notification from a health care facility about a potential patient elopement from the facility, the certified local health department shall investigate or have investigated the circumstances alleged and may issue a verbal order for isolation or quarantine. e)         If proper isolation or quarantine of a person cannot be accomplished in a home setting, hospitalization may be required by the Department or certified local health department.  Neither public health agency shall bear the cost of such hospitalization.