Massachusetts law imposes a variety of reporting duties on
physicians. Some diseases or conditions must be reported to local
health authorities, while others are reportable to various offices
of the state Department of Public Health. In addition, occurrences
such as births, deaths, gunshot wounds and other types of injuries
must be reported to designated authorities. This brochure is
intended to alert Massachusetts physicians to current state
requirements for reporting diseases, conditions and
occurrences.
The brochure focuses on state reporting requirements applicable
to physicians. The brochure's emphasis is on traditional public
health reporting, and does not include requirements for the
reporting of alleged physician misconduct, self-reporting of
malpractice claims and hospital privilege restrictions, or
reporting of incidents under the Patient Care Assessment
Regulations.
Where fines may be imposed for failure to report a disease,
condition or occurrence, that information is included. It also
should be noted that failure to satisfy reporting requirements may
subject a physician to disciplinary action by the Board of
Registration in Medicine. For your convenience, the reporting
requirements are grouped by category, and, where possible,
pertinent telephone numbers are included.
The information in this brochure does not constitute legal
advice. It is intended for use as a general reference guide only.
Unique facts or circumstances may necessitate consultation of
additional statutes, regulations and case law for answers to
specific legal questions. An attorney who is knowledgeable about
health care law should be consulted about all legal matters.
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