Infection Control

PURPOSE: This rule establishes guidelines for contagious, infectious, or communicable disease protection. (1) A podiatric physician shall guard against contagious, infectious, and communicable diseases. (2) Podiatric physicians who perform surgery should be generally familiar with the Center for Disease Control’s “Guideline for Prevention of Surgical Site Infection, 1999,” available at http:// www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dhqp/pdf/guidelines/SSI.pdf. AND INSURANCE (3) Podiatric physicians who practice in office settings may find helpful the Center for Disease Control’s “Guidelines for Infection Control in Dental Health-Care Settings—2003,” available at http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/PDF/rr/rr5217.pdf. (4) A podiatric physician shall be adequately trained in how to guard against contagious, infectious, and communicable diseases. (A) Through February 29, 2020, a minimum of two (2) hours of the continuing education obtained by a podiatric physician during a continuing education cycle shall be directly related to guarding against contagious, infectious, and communicable diseases in podiatric practice. (B) Beginning March 1, 2020, a minimum of two (2) hours shall be obtained at least every other renewal period. (5) A podiatric physician shall have an adequate written protocol setting out how the podiatric physician guards against contagious, infectious, and communicable diseases in the practice of podiatric medicine. A written protocol is not adequate if it does not address guarding against contagious, infectious, and communicable diseases in the following particulars: (A) Locations— 1. In any office where the podiatric physician practices; and 2. At any other place where the podiatric physician routinely engages in professional practice. A. A podiatric physician may, after adequate review, accept the adequate written protocol that guards against contagious, infectious, and communicable diseases of any place other than the physician’s own office, unless the podiatric physician becomes aware, or should be aware, that the protocol is not being followed; (B) Training. 1. Every member of the staff of a podiatric physician shall be appropriately trained in how to guard against contagious, infectious, and communicable diseases. A. Non-medical staff shall, at a minimum, be trained to recognize and report to the podiatric physician, or other medically trained staff, personal illness and reports of contagious, infectious, and communicable diseases among patients. B. A record of the training provided to each member of the staff of a podiatric physician shall be maintained throughout the person’s employment and for at least three (3) years after the person’s termination. 2. A podiatric physician shall ensure that any place where he/she is routinely engaged in the practice of podiatric medicine appropriately trains its staff in how to recognize personal illness and guard against contagious, infectious, and communicable diseases and preserve in writing the evidence upon which he/she relied in making the training assessment; (C) Equipment. 1. A podiatric physician shall adequately guard against contagious, infectious, and communicable diseases in the use of equipment. 2. A podiatric physician who uses sterilizing equipment shall test the equipment in strict compliance with the manufacturer’s instructions. 3. A podiatric physician may rely on the sterilization of equipment performed by another only after having made and recorded appropriate inquiry and being reasonably assured that the person or entity’s procedures are adequate; (D) Record Keeping. 1. A podiatric physician shall maintain a “Contagion, Infection, and Communicable Disease Log” wherein a summary of the facts related to an exposure or report of contagious, infectious, and communicable diseases is maintained. Such a summary shall include the date and time of the report, a unique identifier for the person(s) exposed to or reported to be afflicted by the contagious, infectious, or communicable disease that will allow identification of medical or personnel records without disclosing a person’s name in the log, the general nature of the contagious, infectious, or communicable disease, the immediate response of the podiatric physician, and a statement of the outcome of the case (e.g., patient deceased, resolved after treatment with antibiotics). 2. A podiatric physician who operates sterilization equipment in the practice of podiatric medicine shall maintain maintenance and test records for at least three (3) years. 3. A podiatric physician shall maintain a copy of the current protocol pursuant to this rule. Previous versions shall be maintained for three (3) years after the last date they were used. 4. A podiatric physician shall maintain a detailed record of the training provided to staff members related to contagious, infectious, and communicable diseases, distinct from the records of training of individual staff members, for at least three (3) years; and (E) Reports. 1. A podiatric physician shall provide a copy of the written protocol to the board upon request. 2. A podiatric physician shall provide a copy of the detailed record of the training provided to staff members related to contagious, infectious, and communicable diseases, distinct from the records of training of individual staff members, to the board upon request. AUTHORITY: section 330.140, RSMo 2016.* Original rule filed July 11, 2007, effective Jan. 30, 2008. Amended: Filed Aug. 8, 2019, effective Feb. 29, 2020. *Original authority: 330.140, RSMo 1945, amended 1981, 1993, 1995, 1998.