Section 27.31. Reporting cases of cancer

(a) A hospital, clinical laboratory, or other health care facility providing screening, diagnostic or therapeutic services for cancer to cancer patients shall report each case of cancer to the Department in a format prescribed by the Cancer Registry, Bureau of Health Statistics and Research, within 180 days of the patient’s discharge, if an inpatient or, if an outpatient, within 180 days following diagnosis or initiation of treatment.

(b) A health care practitioner providing screening, diagnostic or therapeutic services to cancer patients for cancer shall report each cancer case to the Department in a format prescribed by the Cancer Registry, Bureau of Health Statistics and Research, within 5 work days of diagnosis. Cases directly referred to or previously admitted to a hospital or other health care facility providing screening, diagnostic or therapeutic services to cancer patients in this Commonwealth, and reported by those facilities, are exceptions and do not need to be reported by the health care practitioner.

(c) The Department or its authorized representative shall be afforded physical access to all records of physicians and surgeons, hospitals, outpatient clinics, nursing homes and all other facilities, individuals or agencies providing services to patients which would identify cases of cancer or would establish characteristics of the cancer, treatment of the cancer or medical status of any identified cancer patient.

(d) Reports submitted under this section are confidential and may not be open to public inspection or dissemination. Information for specific research purposes may be released in accordance with procedures established by the Department with the advice of the Pennsylvania Cancer Control, Prevention and Research Advisory Board.

(e) Case reports of cancer shall be sent to the Cancer Registry, Division of Health Statistics, Bureau of Health Statistics and Research, unless otherwise directed by the Department.

The provisions of this § 27.31 adopted November 26, 1982, effective November 27, 1982, 12 Pa.B. 4057; amended January 25, 2002, effective January 26, 2002, 32 Pa.B. 491. Immediately preceding text appears at serial pages (243664) to (243665).

Notation

Authority

The provisions of this § 27.31 issued under The Administrative Code of 1929 (71 P. S. § § 531—545); the Disease Prevention and Control Law of 1955 (35 P. S. § § 521.1—521.21); and the Pennsylvania Cancer Control, Prevention and Research Act (35 P. S. § § 5631—5637).

Cross References

This section cited in 28 Pa. Code § 27.21a (relating to reporting of cases by health care practitioners and health care facilities); and 28 Pa. Code § 27.22 (relating to reporting of cases by clinical laboratories).