1. For purposes of this chapter, unless the context otherwise requires:
a. "Contagious or infectious disease" means hepatitis in any form, meningococcal disease, tuberculosis, and any other disease with the exception of AIDS or HIV infection as defined in section 141A.1, determined to be life-threatening to a person exposed to the disease as established by rules adopted by the department based upon a determination by the state epidemiologist and in accordance with guidelines of the centers for disease prevention and control* of the United States department of health and human services.
b. "Department" means the Iowa department of public health.
c. "Designated officer" means a person who is designated by a department, agency, division, or service organization to act as an infection control liaison officer.
d. "Emergency care provider" means a person who is trained and authorized by federal or state law to provide emergency medical assistance or treatment, for compensation or in a voluntary capacity, including but not limited to all of the following:
(1) An emergency medical care provider as defined in section 147A.1.
(2) A health care provider as defined in this section.
(3) A fire fighter.
(4) A peace officer.
"Emergency care provider" also includes a person who renders direct emergency aid without compensation.
e. "Exposure" means the risk of contracting disease.
f. "Health care provider" means a person licensed or certified under chapter 148, 148C, 150, 150A, 152, or 153 to provide professional health care service to a person during the person's medical care, treatment, or confinement.
2. a. A hospital licensed under chapter 135B shall have written policies and procedures for notification of an emergency care provider who renders assistance or treatment to an individual when in the course of admission, care, or treatment of the individual the individual is diagnosed or is confirmed as having a contagious or infectious disease.
b. If an individual is diagnosed or confirmed as having a contagious or infectious disease, the hospital shall notify the designated officer of an emergency care provider service who shall notify persons involved in attending or transporting the individual. For blood-borne contagious or infectious diseases, notification shall only take place upon filing of an exposure report form with the hospital. The exposure report form may be incorporated into the Iowa prehospital care report, the Iowa prehospital advanced care report, or a similar report used by an ambulance, rescue, or first response service or law enforcement agency.
c. A person who renders direct emergency aid without compensation and is exposed to an individual who has a contagious or infectious disease shall also receive notification from the hospital upon the filing with the hospital of an exposure report form developed by the department.
d. The notification shall advise the emergency care provider of possible exposure to a particular contagious or infectious disease and recommend that the provider seek medical attention. The notification shall be provided as soon as is reasonably possible following determination that the individual has a contagious or infectious disease.
e. This subsection does not require a hospital to administer a test for the express purpose of determining the presence of a contagious or infectious disease. The notification shall not include the name of the individual with the contagious or infectious disease unless the individual consents.
f. The department shall adopt rules pursuant to chapter 17A to implement this subsection.
3. A health care provider may provide the notification required of hospitals in this section to emergency care providers if an individual who has a contagious or infectious disease is delivered by an emergency care provider to the office or clinic of a health care provider for treatment. The notification shall not include the name of the individual who has the contagious or infectious disease unless the individual consents.
4. This section does not preclude a hospital from providing notification to an emergency care provider or health care provider under circumstances in which the hospital's policy provides for notification of the hospital's own employees of exposure to a contagious or infectious disease that is not life-threatening if the report does not reveal a patient's name unless the patient consents.
5. A hospital or health care provider or other person participating in good faith in making a report under the notification provisions of this section or in notifying its own employees under procedures consistent with this section or in failing to make a report under this section is immune from liability, civil or criminal, which may otherwise be incurred or imposed.
6. A hospital's or health care provider's duty of notification under this section is not continuing but is limited to a diagnosis of a contagious or infectious disease made in the course of admission, care, and treatment following the rendering of emergency assistance or treatment to which notification under this section applies.
91 Acts, ch 143, §1; 95 Acts, ch 41, §6; 96 Acts, ch 1034, § 5; 99 Acts, ch 181, §2
*"Centers for disease control and prevention" probably intended; corrective legislation is pending
Hepatitis testing and immunization; reimbursement; 98 Acts, ch 1221, § 5; 99 Acts, ch 201, §5
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