title: Do genitourinary physicians report notifiable diseases? A survey in South East England.
abstract: Genitourinary medicine work requires public health actions. Notifiable infections may be seen in genitourinary medicine, but concerns over confidentiality could delay public health actions and outbreak management. To assess genitourinary medicine clinicians' awareness of notification of infectious disease, reporting practices and liaison with Health Protection Units, we sent postal surveys to 140 genitourinary medicine clinicians (SE HPA region) that explored prior public health training, Health Protection Unit liaison and management of possible clinical scenarios. Fifty-seven respondents reported median genitourinary medicine experience of 12 years; 29% had prior public health training, nine on the British Association for Sexual Health and HIV course. A total of 90% had heard of Health Protection Units and understood their role. Approximately one-third would not report key diseases at all, most reporting only on laboratory confirmation. In all, 83% would only notify acute hepatitis on lab confirmation; 50% would report suspected measles immediately (44% awaiting lab confirmation) and 40% would not pass on any patient details without consent. Clinicians have good knowledge of notification of infectious disease conditions but responses suggest it is not always used in clinical context. Reporting delays occur waiting for lab confirmation and liaison with local Health Protection Units may be hindered by confidentiality concerns, potentially delaying public health action. Doctors with prior public health training are more likely to report appropriately.
authors.affiliation: Mortimer Market Centre, Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK sophieherbert@nhs.net.
authors.forename: Sophie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Herbert
authors.affiliation: Field Epidemiology Services, Public Health England, London, UK.
authors.forename: Geraldine
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Leong
authors.affiliation: Brighton and Sussex Medical School, Brighton, UK.
authors.forename: Kirsty
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hewitt
authors.affiliation: Brighton and Sussex Medical School, Brighton, UK Kent, Surrey and Sussex Health Protection Team, Public Health England, Horsham, UK.
authors.forename: Jackie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Cassell
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D018563:Disease Notification / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D004196:Disease Outbreaks / Q000517:prevention & control; D004739:England / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010820:Physicians; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians'; D062486:Public Health Surveillance; D012749:Sexually Transmitted Diseases / Q000517:prevention & control*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
keywords: England; Notification of infectious disease; genitourinary medicine; health protection; public health; sexual health