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Wisconsin Public Health Information Network
Connecting and sharing health information
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Wisconsin
Electronic Disease Surveillance System (WEDSS)
Health Care Provider Reporting of Communicable Diseases
What is a
health care provider’s responsibility in reporting communicable diseases
to public health?
According to Wis.
Stats. 252.05, any health care provider who “knows or has reason to
believe a person treated or visited by him or her has a communicable
disease” is required to report. Per Administrative Rule DHS 145.04 (1),
this includes reporting of “a case or suspected case…”
Which diseases are reportable?
A list of
reportable communicable diseases and time frame for reporting can be found
on the DHS
Communicable Disease Reporting webpage. Diseases listed in Category I
are of urgent public health importance and shall be reported immediately
by telephone to the appropriate local health department.
What should be included in a communicable disease report?
Wisconsin Administrative Rule DHS 145.04(2)(a) specifies the content of a disease
report to include: disease, patient name, address, telephone number, date
of birth, race, ethnicity, sex, date of onset, county of residence, and
other facts (special report forms) required by public health.
How can a
communicable disease be reported to public health?
Reports may be
written on the individual case report form provided by the Department of
Health Services (or similar form containing the same information), verbal,
or by electronic transmission through WEDSS. Category I diseases require
an immediate phone call to the local health department.
What is WEDSS?
WEDSS is a secure,
web-based system designed to facilitate reporting, investigation, and
surveillance of communicable diseases in Wisconsin. It is designed for
public health staff, infection control practitioners, clinical
laboratories, clinics, and other disease reporters.
Benefits of the
electronic system include:
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Time savings
– easier access to the most current disease-specific forms
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Automatic
reporting to the correct health department based on patient address
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Improved
consistency in reporting
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Improved
security, information sharing and data analysis
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Reduced
duplication and paperwork
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Standardization
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More timely
reporting
How can I learn more?
WEDSS
Enrollment Process for Health Care Providers (Word,
42 KB) February 2013
Contact your local
health department or the Division of Public Health WEDSS staff (email: DHSWEDSS@wisconsin.gov).
WEDSS documents are located on the WEDSS Sharepoint site. You must have
a Wisconsin Logon Management System (WILMS) account in order to use
WEDSS or access these documents. If you do not have a WILMS account,
please send an email to
DHSWEDSS@wisconsin.gov to request instructions.
PDF: The free Adobe Reader® software is needed to
view and print portable document format (PDF) files. Learn
more.
Last Revised:
February 11, 2013
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