1. Patient Information
This includes the full name, date of birth, address, telephone number, gender, race, and ethnicity of the case

2. Disease Information
This includes the disease being reported, date of onset, hospitalization status and date of admission, and pregnancy status and estimated due date.

3. Diagnostic Information
This includes the name, address, and telephone number of the diagnostic facility (where the case sought care), and the full name, address, and telephone number of the healthcare provider.

4. Reporter Information
This includes the full name of the person reporting the case, the name of the facility reporting, and the telephone number of the person or facility.

5. Laboratory Information
This includes the name of the laboratory performing the test, laboratory's name for the test, specimen source, specimen collection date, testing results, test reference range, and test status (preliminary, final, amended and/or corrected).

A completed confidential morbidity report form can also be submitted.

The Utah Department of Health (UDOH) mandates the reporting of certain diseases and conditions to public health. The data is used to monitor disease activity throughout the state; identify new or emerging diseases and outbreaks; control disease and outbreaks through public health interventions; and prevent the spread of disease through education.

UDOH participates in the National Notifiable Diseases Surveillance System (NNDSS); a partnership between the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), health departments throughout the United States, and the Council for State and Territorial Health Departments (CSTE) to collect standardized data for assessment at the national level.

Disease reporting is mandated by states and shared voluntarily with CDC through the National Electronic Disease Surveillance System (NEDSS), an integrated and interoperable public health surveillance system. NNDSS data is published nationally by CDC.

Additional Resources

• National Notifiable Diseases Surveillance System
• National Electronic Disease Surveillance System
• UT-NEDSS
• Council for State and Territorial Epidemiologists
• CDC NNDSS Data Tables
• Meaningful Use/Promoting Interoperability

Utah Code 26-6, the Communicable Disease Control Act, gives the Utah Department of Health authority to investigate and control communicable diseases and epidemic infections which may affect public health. The Communicable Disease Control Act allows the Utah Department of Health to identify diseases that must be reported, and establish rules for how those diseases should be identified, reported, investigated and controlled. The Utah Department of Health establishes these rules through the Utah Communicable Disease Rule R386-702.

Public health in Utah also has the authority to collect any records or other materials necessary to conduct a thorough investigation. This may include medical records, additional laboratory testing results, treatment and vaccination history, clinical material, or contact information for cases, suspect cases, or persons potentially exposed.

Additional Resources

• Utah Code 26-6: Communicable Disease Control Act
• Utah Administrative Rule R386-702: Communicable Disease Rule

The Privacy Rule in the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) of 1996 defines all medical records or other identifiable healthcare-related information collected by healthcare entities as protected health information (PHI). HIPAA states that a healthcare entity must obtain the individual’s consent prior to using or disclosing that individual’s PHI.

The HIPAA Privacy Rule also states that healthcare entities do not need to obtain an individual’s consent to share PHI with public health when public health is authorized by law to collect and receive the reported data. In Utah, this authority is established through the Utah Administrative Code and Rules.

Additional Resources

• Utah Attorney General Letter
• HIPAA Privacy Rule and Public Health: Guidance from CDC and HHS
• HIPAA Disclosures for Public Health Activities

These documents should be used by public health reporters to ensure that they are compliant with R308-702 – Communicable Disease Rule.

If you would like to be notified of important changes to the Communicable Disease Rule, email reporting@utah.gov and ask to be added to the reporting listserv.

• Overview of Regulations and Requirements in the Communicable Disease Rule
• Reporting Requirements for Electronic Reporters
• Reporting Requirements for Manual Reporters
• Reporting Protocol for Blood and Plasma Donation Centers

Printable Documents

• Events Reportable to Public Health
• Mandatory Specimen Submission Requirements
• Confidential Morbidity Report

Communicable Disease Rule Changes

R308-702 - The Communicable Disease Rule, was updated in November 2019.

• Rule Changes for Manual Reporters - November 2019
• Rule Changes for Electronic Reporters - November 2019

Mandatory Specimen Submission Requirements

The Utah Department of Health (UDOH) mandates that laboratories submit clinical material* from patients identified with certain organisms to the Utah Public Health Laboratory (UPHL) within three (3) working days of identification.

Organisms Requiring Standard Submission