Virginia Medical Board Notification

Notice to health care providers from Virginia Board of Medicine

(Posted on website and in the April 2013 newsletter on page 7)

NEW LAWS (effective July 1, 2013) LYME DISEASE

Practitioners regulated by the Board of Medicine and their in-office designees will have a new responsibility to meet as of July 1, 2013. Law was passed this year that requires all patients who are tested for Lyme Disease to receive specific language about testing for Lyme. Here is the bill that was passed; it contains the specific language you must use with all such patients to be in compliance with the law.

§ 54.1-2963.2. Lyme disease testing information disclosure.

A. Every licensee or his in-office designee who orders a laboratory test for the presence of Lyme disease

shall provide to the patient or his legal representative the following written information:

Virginia Board of Medicine 6 Newsletter #72

"ACCORDING TO THE CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL AND PREVENTION, AS OF 2011 LYME DISEASE IS THE SIXTH FASTEST GROWING DISEASE IN THE UNITED STATES.

YOUR HEALTH CARE PROVIDER HAS ORDERED A LABORATORY TEST FOR THE PRESENCE OF LYME DISEASE FOR YOU. CURRENT LABORATORY TESTING FOR LYME DISEASE CAN BE PROBLEMATIC AND STANDARD LABORATORY TESTS OFTEN RESULT IN FALSE NEGATIVE AND FALSE POSITIVE RESULTS, AND IF DONE TOO EARLY, YOU MAY NOT HAVE PRODUCED ENOUGH ANTIBODIES TO BE CONSIDERED POSITIVE BECAUSE YOUR IMMUNE RESPONSE REQUIRES TIME TO DEVELOP ANTIBODIES. IF YOU ARE TESTED FOR LYME DISEASE, AND THE RESULTS ARE NEGATIVE, THIS DOES NOT NECESSARILY MEAN YOU DO NOT HAVE LYME DISEASE. IF YOU CONTINUE TO EXPERIENCE SYMPTOMS, YOU SHOULD CONTACT YOUR HEALTH CARE PROVIDER AND INQUIRE ABOUT THE APPROPRIATENESS OF RETESTING OR ADDITIONAL TREATMENT."

B. Licensees shall be immune from civil liability for the provision of the written information required by this section absent gross negligence or willful misconduct.

2. That the provisions of this act shall expire on July 1, 2018.

Link Here- https://www.dhp.virginia.gov/medicine/newsletters/BoardBrief72.pdf