OHIO - REPORTING REQUIREMENTS

REPORTING UNPROFESSIONAL CONDUCT OR LACK OF CAPACITY OFLICENSED PROFESSIONALS:

A. Reporting Required by All Physicians:

All licensed physicians or any society of physicians must report any violation of the laws or rules governing the profession.

Ohio Admin. Code §4731-15-01(A)(1)

The report must be made to the board within 48 hours and should include:

(i) The name of the licensee in violation of the laws or rules;
(ii) The alleged violation; and
(iii) The date and location of the alleged violation.

Ohio Admin. Code §4731-15-01(E)-(G)

B. Reporting Required by Health Care Facilities:

The chief administrator or executive officer of any health care facility must report any formal disciplinary actions taken against a licensee. The report must be made to the board within 60 days of the action and must include:

(i) The name and address of the facility;
(ii) The name and license number of the licensee;
(iii) The actions taken by the facility;
(iv) The effective date of the action; and
(v) A summary of the facts leading to the action.

Ohio Admin. Code §4731-15-01(F)

C. Reporting Required by Professional Society:

Any professional society or organization composed primarily of physicians must report any suspension or revocation of a member for a violation of professional ethics, incompetence or malpractice.

Ohio Admin. Code §4731-15-04(A)

The report must be made to the board within 60 days of the decision and should include:

(i) The licensee’s name and license number;
(ii) The action taken; and
(iii) A summary of the facts leading to the action.

D. Child Abuse or Neglect:

In general, any physician who suspects that a child under the age of 18 or a mentally retarded, developmentally disabled, or physically impaired child under the age of 21 has suffered or may suffer any physical injury or condition indicative of abuse or neglect must immediately report this to the public children services agency or a municipal or county peace officer in the county where the child resides or where the abuse occurred.

Ohio Rev. Code Ann. § 2151.421(A)(1)(a)

The initial report should be by telephone or in person. If the receiving agency so requests, a second written report must also be sent which contains: the names and addresses of the child and the child’s parents or custodian, the child’s age, the nature of the known or believed abuse, and any additional information known about the circumstances surrounding the child’s abuse. Ohio Rev. Code Ann. § 2151.421(C)(West 2006). A physician who knows or suspects child abuse may also take photographs to document any visible abuse of the child. Id.

E. Reporting Crimes:

All treating physicians must report any gunshot or stab wound victims to law enforcement authorities.

Ohio Rev. Code Ann. §2921.22(B)

Physicians must also report any other serious physical harm to a patient that the physician knows or has reasonable cause to believe resulted from an act of violence. Id.

Similarly, any burn injury which appears to have been inflicted by an explosion or other incendiary device, or is the apparent result of criminal conduct, must report the injury to the local arson or fire investigation bureau.

Ohio Rev. Code Ann. §2921.22(E)(2)

If there is no bureau in the treating physician’s jurisdiction, the report must be made to local law enforcement authorities. Id.

Copyright © Kern Augustine Conroy and Schoppmann, P.C. Used with permission.

Updated 2008