DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND SENIOR SERVICES
OFFICE OF THE STATE EPIDEMIOLOGIST
PO BOX 369
TRENTON, N.J. 08625-0369
www.nj.gov/health
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June 21, 2011
Dear Clinical Lab Directors,
This is a quick reminder of the communicable disease reporting obligations of clinical laboratories licensed in New Jersey, particularly in regard to Electronic Lab Reporting.
The New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services (NJDHSS) mandates the confidential reporting of notifiable communicable diseases per statute and regulation (N.J.S.A. 52:14B-1 et seq. and N.J.A.C. 8:57-1).
Per N.J.A.C. 8:57-1.7, laboratory reports are required to be electronically reported by your staff, either directly into NJDHSS’s Communicable Disease Reporting and Surveillance System (CDRSS) or sent through the electronic interface (if established). In addition, hard copy reports are to be sent to the local health department where the person resides for certain specimens found to be positive for communicable disease. Once electronic reporting is found to be complete and accurate, submission of paper reports to the local health department will be discontinued.
Remember, it is the responsibility of the clinical laboratory director who sends a laboratory specimen to a referral laboratory for testing to report any positive test result on that specimen as required under the regulation (N.J.A.C. 8:57-1.7). This responsibility may be delegated to the referral laboratory, but this delegation does not relieve the clinical laboratory director of the ultimate reporting and submitting responsibility.
For those clinical laboratories that have established electronic interfaces with NJDHSS, please make sure to include reporting of all reportable sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) via this interface. If you directly report into CDRSS, please make sure that the STD reports are included.
A few clinical laboratories still report solely by paper and therefore are non-compliant with electronic reporting regulations (N.J.A.C. 8:57-1) which went into effect September 2010. These laboratories should immediately contact CDRSS training staff to set up their accounts and get trained on using the system. Detailed information for training is available at the CDRSS website, https://cdrs.doh.state.nj.us.
As of July 15, 2011, for diseases reported in CDRSS, NJDHSS will no longer consider printed labs to be an acceptable manner of reporting and will return these to the issuing clinical laboratory for electronic processing.
NJDHSS appreciates the professionalism and cooperation that our partner laboratories exhibit. Your help and cooperation in timely and complete reporting for prompt public health action is much appreciated.
Sincerely,
Simi Octania-Pole
Director Data Systems and Evaluation
Division of Epidemiology, Environmental and Occupational Health
New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services
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