Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 1200-15-01-.04 - MEDICAL PROVIDERS AND LOCAL HEALTH DEPARTMENTS MUST ASSIST THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH

(1) The primary care provider's responsibility is to:

(a) Ensure that all newborn screening tests were conducted and provide necessary follow up, if needed, as instructed by the Newborn Screening Program.

(b) Recollect a blood specimen before two (2) weeks of age, as instructed by the program or tertiary center staff, or send the infant to the local Health Department for recollection.

(c) Assist the Department of Health in contacting families, submitting follow up information, making appropriate referrals and/or notifying the Department immediately if they are not the provider. The Newborn Screening Program outlines the providers' responsibilities in the practitioner guide which is available online at the Department of Health's web page.

(d) Obtain further hearing tests prior to three (3) months of age if the infant did not pass the hearing screen. A referral may be made to the State Department of Health to assist in locating a hearing provider.

(e) Submit the critical congenital heart disease follow-up form on infants who did not pass the pulse oximetry screen.

(2) Audiologists shall submit the hearing follow-up form on infants referred to them for further testing through the newborn screening process.

(3) Cardiologists shall submit the critical congenital heart disease follow-up form on infants referred to them through the newborn screening process.

(4) Each local health department shall assist the Department of Health in contacting all parents or guardians of infants who are in need of further testing to confirm or disprove the presumptive screening results based on the prescribed effective tests and examinations designed to detect genetic disorders as determined by the Department of Health.

Notes

Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 1200-15-01-.04

Original rule certified June 7, 1974. Repeal and new rule filed September 1, 1982; effective October 1, 1982. Amendment filed September 16, 1996; effective January 28, 1997. Repeal and new rule filed December 30, 1999; effective March 14, 2000. Repeal and new rule filed September 26, 2003; effective January 28, 2004. Repeal and new rule filed December 13, 2012; effective May 31, 2013.

Authority: T.C.A. §§ 4-5-202, 68-5-401 et seq., 68-5-501 et seq., and 68-5-901 et seq.