Was it an accident or a crime? Healthcare workers' duty to report injuries

Healthcare providers, especially hospitals and clinics, routinely deal with people who are injured, but when is a patient's injury reportable? It depends on the circumstances. For example, if a person shows up at the hospital with a facial laceration because he hit a deer with his car, his injury doesn't need to be reported to the authorities. But if someone comes in with a facial laceration because he was punched, his injury might have to be reported. Let's take a closer look.

Reporting requirements under Iowa law

The duty to report the treatment of wounds and other injuries is set out in Iowa Code § 147.111. Licensed healthcare providers are required to report gunshot or stab wounds and other serious injuries that appear to have been sustained in connection with the commission of a criminal offense or a motor vehicle accident. "Serious injury" is defined as a disabling mental illness or a bodily injury that:

• Creates a substantial risk of death;
• Causes serious permanent disfigurement;
• Causes protracted loss or impairment of the function of a bodily member or organ; or
• Any injury to a child that requires surgical repair and general anesthesia.

Many fractures in children younger than four also fall under the definition of serious injury.