Health care organizations are required by regulation and accrediting bodies such as the Joint Commission, to have infection prevention and control policies and procedures to prevent the transmission of infectious diseases to patients. A critical infectious prevention and control practice is to follow infectious disease reporting and patient contact precautions if you have an infectious disease. As such, you are required to adhere to the following reporting requirements and patient contact restrictions if you have or suspect having one of the following infectious diseases. You must also follow any additional reporting requirements or patient contact restrictions for their clinical site.
Infectious diseases that require reporting to Student Health.
If you participate in activities in patient care areas and have or suspect you have any of the infectious diseases listed below, you need to immediately notify the UMB Student Health Services (“Student Health”) at Campus Health. Student Health will talk to you about your condition and provide you with guidance on safely participating in activities in patient care areas.
- Diarrheal diseases e.g., Salmonella, Shigella, Campylobacter, E. coli, Norovirus
- Clostridium difficile infection (CDI)
- Enteroviral infections
- Hepatitis A
- Herpes Simplex Virus on hands (herpetic whitlow) or orofacial
- Measles
- Mumps
- Pediculosis
- Pertussis
- Rubella
- Scabies
- Streptococcal disease
- Tuberculosis
- Viral rash illness e.g., Enteroviral infection, hand foot and mouth disease
- Varicella (Chicken pox)
- Varicella Zoster (Shingles)
Infectious diseases that require adherence to the patient contact guidance listed below but DO NOT require reporting to Student Health.
You are not required to report having one of the diseases listed below to Student Health but must adhere to the patient contact guidance and any additional patient contact restrictions at your clinical site. Do not hesitate to contact Student Health if you need guidance on patient contact restrictions and/or medical care for one of these illnesses.
- Conjunctivitis, (infectious) – no patient contact until discharge ceases
- Staphylococcus aureus (active draining skin lesions) - no patient contact until lesions have resolved
- Staphylococcus aureus (carrier state) – no patient contact restrictions unless directed by a public health official in response to an outbreak
- Viral respiratory infections – no patient contact until acute symptoms improve and afebrile for 24 hours off antipyretics
- COVID-19 - follow patient contact restrictions found in the Center for Disease Prevention and Control’s (CDC) Return to Work Criteria for Healthcare Provider with SARS-CoV-2 Infection guidance or guidance provided by your clinical site
Bloodborne Pathogens (Hepatitis B virus, Hepatitis C virus and Human Immunodeficiency Virus)
As testing and treatments for the viral infections known collectively as bloodborne pathogens, Hepatitis B virus (HBV), Hepatitis C virus (HCV) and Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) have improved, most individuals living with these infections present little risk of transmitting them to others. Transmission of these viruses to patients by healthcare workers is exceedingly rare. Therefore, it is not required that all students living with these infections report them. However, students living with these infections are required to schedule a consultation with Student Health before engaging in clinical activities involving exposure-prone procedures. The clinicians at Student Health can advise about safety and need for precautions, in consultation with infectious disease and infection prevention experts in the clinical teaching facilities and in collaboration with the student’s treating clinician as appropriate. All students living with bloodborne pathogen infections are encouraged to discuss their situation with the Student Health clinicians, who can provide counseling and collaborative care. Student Health can also help such students access career counseling services if considering a career path involving exposure-prone procedures.
How do I report if I have an infectious disease or need guidance on patient contact restrictions?
To report having or suspecting you have one of the above infectious diseases or for guidance on patient contact restrictions, contact Student Health at 667-214-2233. The Student Health Center is open from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and is housed in University of Maryland Campus Health, 408 W. Lombard St., Baltimore. To reach a healthcare provider after hours, on weekends or holidays, call 667-214-2233 or 667-214-1800. To reach the needlestick hotline, call 667-214-1886.
Why should I report having an infectious disease if I participate in activities in patient care areas?
Infection prevention and control are an essential part of caring for and protecting patients. Hence, it is important to notify Student Health if you have or think you have one of the conditions listed above, so the clinical team can help you prevent infecting others, including patients.
In addition, health care organizations are required by regulation and accrediting bodies such as the Joint Commission to have infection prevention and control policies and procedures. Some, such as the University of Maryland’s Medical Center (“UMMC”), have policies on the prevention of transmission of infectious diseases from health care personnel to patients. UMMC’s policy requires individuals who have contact with patient care areas to report if they have certain infectious diseases and comply with the patient contact restrictions. The Student Health Center can provide you guidance on patient contact restrictions. If needed, Student Health can also provide direction or assist you with reporting that you have an infectious disease to a healthcare organization(s) where you participate in education activities.
Last, if you have an infectious disease and continue to work in patient areas without taking appropriate precautions and reporting it to Student Health, you could transmit the disease to a patient. If this occurs, you may be subject to a claim being filed against your professional liability insurance that could follow you through your career.
What should I expect from Student Health when I contact them about a reportable infectious disease?
You will be directed to call 667-214-2233 to request an appointment or a telemedicine visit with a Student Health practitioner. At the visit, please bring any prior paper or electronic records with you and provide them to the Student Health staff, who will coordinate your care with your outside physician. Your management will follow CDC guidelines, and as discussed with your primary care physician/specialist. All health care records and discussions will remain protected as required under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) and Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA).
Will my condition be kept confidential?
Yes. Discussions with healthcare providers at the Student Health Center along with medical records, are kept confidential in accordance with Federal privacy regulations. However, some conditions require a report to the Maryland Department of Health; you can find more information here.
Where can I find more information on infection prevention and control practices in healthcare?
For those interested in learning more about infection prevention and control practices in healthcare, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has launched the Project Firstline initiative. The Project Firstline website has a wealth of information on infection prevention and control. You can also find information on infection control in this 2021 article from the American Medical Association entitled How infection control can start in medical school
