We wish that reporting of notifiable diseases was as much a reflex for providers as carrying a stethoscope. We know, unfortunately, that it is not true. Some providers do not know what to report. Some think reporting is voluntary. In fact, it is the law.
Some physicians are concerned about confidentiality.
Local, state and federal law strictly protect all reports. But that is often not true. While laboratory reporting is critical, not all notifiable diseases are diagnosed by laboratory criteria, and not all patients with notifiable diseases are hospitalized. In any event, laboratory reports do not provide the clinical and demographic information needed for disease control and prevention, planning and research. For that we depend on the provider.