Notification - what's it all about?
BACKGROUND
General practitioners are often unsure of their obligation to notify public health units of infectious disease in their patients. A measles case study in which contacts missed out on appropriate prophylaxis due to failure to notify by a GP and hospital staff is discussed.


OBJECTIVE
This article aims to demonstrate the rationale behind prompt infectious disease notification.


CONCLUSIONS
This case study highlights the importance of notification on clinical suspicion of a disease, and subsequent actions taken by public health units.
Esler
Danielle
D
North Sydney and Central Coast Public Health Unit, New South Wales, Australia. desler@nsccahs.health.nsw.gov.au
Just
Emma
E
D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D001315:Australia; D003140:Communicable Disease Control / Q000379:methods*; D003141:Communicable Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis*; D018563:Disease Notification / Q000379:methods*; D004196:Disease Outbreaks / Q000517:prevention & control*; D005194:Family Practice / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D008457:Measles / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000517:prevention & control; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians'