Survey of Louisiana physicians on communicable disease reporting

We evaluated the participation of Louisiana physicians in the reporting of communicable diseases. In the spring of 1990 we surveyed a stratified random sample of Louisiana physicians from specialties likely to see patients with reportable diseases. Between 30% and 67% of physicians indicated that they reported all the cases of the queried diseases they had seen during the past year. The proportion reporting all cases differed by disease. AIDS and pertussis were always reported by more than half of the respondents. Mumps was least reported. Perceived barriers and suggestions to improve reporting are discussed.