Responsibilities of Health Care Settings

Section 696 Section 696.130  Responsibilities of Health Care Settings a)         TB Risk Assessment.  Every health care setting shall conduct initial and ongoing evaluation of the risk for transmission of M. tuberculosis, regardless of whether patients with suspected or confirmed active TB disease are expected to be encountered in the setting. The TB risk assessment shall address administrative, environmental and respiratory-protection controls needed for the health care setting and shall be reviewed at least annually. b)         Written Plans.  A written TB infection control plan shall be developed that includes: protocols for the screening and management of latent TB infection (LTBI) among health care workers and clients; protocols for the screening, diagnosis and management of active TB disease among health care workers and clients; data collection; evaluation of data; reporting of persons with suspected or confirmed active TB disease to the local TB control authority; and a health care worker education program.  All components of the plan shall reflect compliance with this Part.  The plan shall include the name of the person or persons responsible for the TB prevention and control program at each health care setting; procedures to protect health care workers and clients from contracting tuberculosis; and a referral mechanism to ensure that transmission of TB is prevented and treatment is completed for clients with TB who leave the health care settings.  The written plan shall be updated at least annually. (See the Guidelines for Health-Care Settings.) c)         TB Prevention and Control Program.  A program shall be executed in accordance with the written TB infection control plan. d)         Health Care Worker Education.  All health care workers shall be trained upon hiring and periodically thereafter to ensure employee knowledge relevant to the employee's work responsibilities and the level of risk in the health care setting.  (See the Guidelines for Health-Care Settings.) e)         Collaboration.  Health care settings shall consult with the local TB control authority, as necessary, to determine their respective responsibilities in the screening, diagnosis and management of latent TB infection and active TB disease, reporting of active TB disease, and the education of health care workers. f)         Records.  Records shall be maintained on TB screening test results; TB diagnostic evaluation results (including whether the tuberculosis was drug-resistant); other information about any persons exposed to tuberculosis; and the current written plan as required in subsection (b). Individual and aggregate data shall be analyzed periodically to identify the health care setting's level of risk and changes in the risk of TB transmission.  All records required in this subsection shall be made available for inspection by the Department or the local TB control authority upon request by the Department or the local TB control authority.