Dear Seattle-King County Health Care Providers:

HIV/AIDS reporting requirements are contained in Washington Administrative Code (WAC 246-101). Licensed health care providers, persons delivering care under the supervision of a licensed provider, health care facilities, and laboratories located in King County should report to Public Health-Seattle & King County, whether or not the patient resides in King County. Case reports are to be made within 3 working days following the diagnosis of, or after providing care services to, persons with either HIV infection or AIDS. Laboratories are required to report AIDS-indicative CD4 counts (<200 or 14%), positive HIV viral load tests, confirmed HIV antibody tests, and other tests diagnostic of HIV infection. In the event that an HIV or AIDS case is reported by a lab and no case report has been received from the provider, Public Health staff follow up with the ordering provider to confirm the diagnosis and obtain a complete report. It is important to note that lab reporting does not relieve health care providers of their duty to report. All health care providers in attendance on a case have an obligation to report, whether they are the HIV positive person's primary care provider or a specialist seeing the patient on a limited basis.

AIDS has been legally reportable since 1984. As of 9/1/99, the WACs were expanded to require reporting, by name, of all cases of HIV infection not been previously reported. Health care providers are required to report regardless of the patient's initial diagnosis date, however, the requirement is limited to patients seen on or after 9/1/99. Persons testing anonymously for HIV should not be reported until such time as they enter health care. For asymptomatic HIV cases, Public Health replaces the patient's name with a non-name unique identifier code within 90 days of receiving a completed report and prior to forwarding the report to the state Department of Health.

WAC 246-101 requires health care providers and facilities to report specified diseases to the state or local health department and to cooperate with the investigation of suspected cases of reportable illness. Accordingly, patient consent for reporting is not required. Information gathered by Public Health pursuant to disease investigation is completely confidential. Patients being reported are not contacted by Public Health staff except in rare instances and then only after permission is obtained from the reporting provider. Case report data are never shared with insurance companies, employers, landlords, family members, or agencies outside of Public Health. Furthermore, case report data may not be obtained through the Freedom of Information Act.

If you have any questions regarding HIV/AIDS reporting requirements or wish to receive a copy of the WACs pertaining to disease reporting, please do not hesitate to contact me at 206-296-4645. Thank you for your cooperation.

Sincerely,


Sharon G. Hopkins DVM, MPH
Sr. Epidemiologist, HIV/AIDS Epidemiology Program