Penalty Call for Texas Physician?
Penalty Call for Texas Physician?
Source: Pro-MED mail, August 19, 1999. www.healthnet.org.
Atexas physician who failed to report a case of hantavirus infection this year may face disciplinary action. According to the Texas Department of Health, failure to report an infectious disease is considered a Class B misdemeanor under Texas state law, although it is not clear what sanctions, if any, are being considered. The Amarillo-based physician provided care in May 1999 to a 51-year-old man, who fortunately survived his illness. The case first came to the attention of authorities in July 1999. This is the first (reported) case of hantavirus infection in Texas since October 1997.
Remarkably, no report was filed at the patient’s request. This reminds me of Liberace’s physician, who suffered a barrage of bad publicity and was under investigation by authorities for failing to indicate a diagnosis of AIDS on the pianist’s death certificate. While you hate to see a medical colleague face professional sanction or legal action for reporting failure, any physician—as well as the public—should realize that timely reporting of certain infectious diseases is essential to epidemiological surveillance and an effective public health response. This is one of those difficult circumstances where the needs of the individual must be sacrificed for the greater good of society.
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