Policy Manual sample

MDT Home Health Care Agency, Inc. POLICY ON PERSONS WITH CONFIRMED OR SUSPECTED DISABLING OR INFECTIOUS DISEASES, INCLUDING AIDS MDT Home Health Care Agency, Inc.'s do not discriminate to any person for disabilities or infection disease problems, but it is our primary obligation to protect the health and welfare of its patients and employees. These guidelines shall apply to patients, employees and applicants who are or are suspected of being infected with HIV (including AIDS, AIDS Related Complex [ARC], and asymptomatic carriers of AIDS). I. Patient Care 1. Patients known or suspected of having infection with HIV shall be placed on appropriate precautions pursuant to Nursing and Infection Control policies and procedures as determined by the patients' physicians. These policies and procedures shall be based on standards of practice for infection control, including, among others, those recommended by the Center for Disease Control. 2. Confidential information regarding medical tests, test results, medical findings, or diagnosis shall be maintained in the same confidential manner as all other medical information. Only persons having a need to know should be informed of the exact nature of the diagnosis. Pursuant to infection control policies and procedures, persons at risk will be informed and educated regarding recent medical information about Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome, and instructed to follow appropriate blood/body fluid precautions. II Agency Personnel 1. Reasonable efforts shall be made to pen-nit our personnel diagnosed as having the HIV infection to either continue to perform their assigned duties (unless they are unable to perform the essential functions of the position or the performance of those essential functions would endanger the health, welfare or safety of themselves, our other patients, or other employees) or to offer them a position they are able to perform and that would not pose a significant danger to the health, welfare or safety to themselves and/or others. In determining the significance of the danger posed, our facility shall consult public health officials, as well as health authorities regarding the state of medical knowledge concerning (a) the nature of the risk (how the disease is transmitted); (b) the duration of the risk (how long is the carrier infectious); (c) the severity of the risk (what is the potential harm to third parties); and (d) the probabilities the disease will be transmitted and will cause varying degrees of harm. Such decisions will also be based on considerations of the reasonable accommodations that can be provided to eliminate any substantial risk. These determinations will be made on an individualized, case-by-case basis. 2. Confirmed cases of HIV infection in our personnel shall be reported immediately to the proper infection control authority so that it can immediately respond the health and educational needs of patients and employees. This information shall be maintained by the infection control authority in a confidential manner and shall be disclosed only to persons having a need to know and only to the extent required to protect the heal, welfare and safety of patients and employees. 3. Employees who believe they have been exposed to the body fluids of an individual with HIV infection shall immediately report the matter to the coordinator so that the infection control coordinator may evaluate the need for appropriate testing and treatment. If an individual is suspected of having AIDS and refuses to consent to appropriate testing, infection control coordinator and the exposed employee's physician shall make determinations regarding appropriate testing and treatment for the employee based on the individual's current Home Health Agency Overall Plan and Budget E-11