N.J. Admin. Code § 8:57-5.4

Current through Register Vol. 56, No. 8, April 15, 2024

Section 8:57-5.4 - Reporting requirements

(a) Health care providers and administrators providing care for any person with a diagnosis of suspected or confirmed TB disease at any site shall report to the Department's TB program or designee the following circumstances utilizing the TB-70 form, available at subchapter Appendix A:

1. A person with suspected or confirmed TB disease within 24 hours of diagnosis.

i. A health care provider shall report a patient as a TB suspect within 24 hours of initiation of treatment;

2. Updated monthly information on patients with suspected or confirmed TB disease under their care whenever any of the following occurs: change in clinical status, change in the treatment regimen, treatment ceases for any reason, new laboratory findings, new radiographic findings, change in medical supervision or change in patient locating or contact information.

i. The health care provider or administrator shall submit a TB-70 form if any of these events occur, by the 10th day of the following month; and

3. Absent any of the occurrences in (a)2 above, health care providers and administrators shall report updated information on patients with suspected or confirmed TB disease under their care at least every three months after the confirmation of TB disease while treatment is on-going.

(b) The public health nurse case manager shall submit a TB-70 form to the Department's TB Program for patients in accordance with (a) above for patients with suspected or confirmed TB residing in the local health jurisdictions for which he or she has responsibility, when a public health clinic is medically managing these patients.

(c) Health care providers and administrators may report the information required by the TB-70 form to the Department's TB Program Surveillance Unit by telephone (609) 588-7522, or by mail to: New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services, TB Program, PO Box 369, Trenton, NJ 08625-0369.

1. Health care providers and administrators may also submit the TB-70 form to an appropriate designee of the Department.

i. Health care providers and administrators may call the Department's TB Program to determine the appropriate local designee.

2. Public health nurse case managers shall submit the TB-70 form to the TB Program through the mailing address provided above.

(d) The public health nurse case manager for the jurisdiction in which an index case resides shall report to the Department utilizing the TB-41 form, available at subchapter Appendix B, the identification, evaluation results and final disposition of contacts of the index case with suspected or confirmed TB disease with the following characteristics:

1. Nucleic acid amplification test positive for M.tb from a sputum specimen or sputum culture identified as M.tb or M.tb complex;

2. Cavitary lesions on chest x-ray or computed tomography scan with respiratory symptoms; or

3. Pulmonary or extra-pulmonary TB in children 10 years of age or less.

(e) The public health nurse case manager for an index case shall mail any TB-41 form to the Department's TB Program at New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services, TB Program, PO Box 369, Trenton, NJ 08625-0369.

(f) Public health nurse case managers in health jurisdictions other than that in which the index case lives shall:

1. Assist the public health nurse case manager of the index case in the identification, evaluation and final disposition of contacts associated with the index case; and

2. Submit the results of these activities to the public health nurse case manager in the index case's jurisdiction of residence for coordination and submission to the Department's TB Program.

(g) If the index case has contacts outside New Jersey, the Department's TB Program shall assist in securing information regarding the identification, evaluation and final disposition of contacts and provide this information to the public health nurse case manager in the index case's health jurisdiction of residence.

(h) Any health care provider that is evaluating and/or treating contacts to a TB index case meeting the criteria set forth in (d) above shall report the evaluation results and final disposition to the public health nurse case manager upon request.

(i) A health care provider who is not working for a public health clinic shall report verbally to the Department's TB Program at (609) 588-7522, whenever any patient with suspected or confirmed infectious or potentially infectious TB disease misses two consecutive appointments for medical assessment.

1. The report shall include the name of the patient, date of birth, residence address, date of last medical assessment, dates of missed appointments and if the provider wishes to retain medical supervision or transfer supervision to the public health clinic.

2. The health care provider may submit the report to an appropriate designee of the Department.

i. Health care providers may call the Department's TB Program to determine the appropriate local designee.

(j) The administrator of a hospital shall report to the TB Program at (609) 588-7522 within 24 hours any inpatient with suspected or confirmed infectious or potentially infectious TB disease posing an immediate or imminent public health risk as defined in this subchapter.

(k) The administrator of a hospital shall report the proposed discharge date of a patient with suspected or confirmed infectious or potentially infectious TB disease regardless of time on treatment or smear status to the TB Program at (609) 588-7522 on the last business day that is at least 48 hours prior to the planned discharge date.

1. The hospital shall delay discharge if the administrator cannot achieve this timeline.

2. The report shall include the inpatient's name, address, contact phone number and proposed date of discharge.

(l) The administrator of a correctional facility shall report the release of an inmate with suspected or confirmed infectious or potentially infectious TB disease to the TB Program at (609) 588-7522 at least two working days in advance of the release, if anticipated, or within one working day of the date of release, if unanticipated.

1. The report shall include the inmate's name, address, contact phone number and date of release.

(m) An administrator, health care provider or nurse case manager may delegate the reporting requirements in this section to a subordinate, but such delegation does not transfer responsibility for adherence to the reporting requirements.

(n) Failure to comply with the reporting requirements in this section shall subject required reporters to the penalties set forth at 8:57-5.18.

(o) No person who reports patient information in order to comply with this section shall be subject to civil, administrative, disciplinary or criminal liability.

N.J. Admin. Code § 8:57-5.4

Repeal and New Rule, R.2009 d.107, effective 4/6/2009.
See: 40 N.J.R. 1962(a), 41 N.J.R. 1419(a).
Section was "Case management and outreach services".

The adopted version of this section 56 N.J.R. 213(a), effective 1/3/2024 is not yet available