Reporting of communicable diseases by university physicians

Billing records from the outpatient clinics of the University of Arizona were compared to case reports of communicable diseases received by the local health department. Of 286 cases of reportable diseases found, 183 (64 percent) were reported to the local health department. Sexually transmitted diseases were more likely to be reported than other diseases [risk ratio (RR) = 1.97; 95 percent confidence interval (CI), 1.62-2.39]. Diseases of residents of Pima County were more likely to be reported than those of residents of other Arizona counties (RR = 1.40; 95 percent CI, 1.11-1.77), and diseases in Arizona residents were more likely to be reported than those of residents of other States (RR = 2.37; 95 percent CI, 1.35-4.15). Diseases of citizens of other countries were never reported. The only significant difference found among the specialty clinics of the medical center was that pediatricians reported less frequently than others (RR = 0.75; 95 percent CI, 0.58-0.98).