IOWA - HOSPITAL MANDATORY
REPORTING GUIDE
Iowa — Hospital Mandatory Reporting Guide
Category 1 — Adverse Events
No statewide mandatory hospital adverse-event reporting system identified in OIG’s 2008 inventory (verify whether enacted/changed since 2008).
Who Must Report: N/A.
Deadline: N/A.
Destination: N/A.
Citation: Source.
Attorney Notes: Hospitals still have other mandatory reporting duties and federal/contractual obligations.
Category 2 — Child Abuse / Neglect
Trigger: Reasonable belief a child has been abused.
Who Must Report: Mandated reporters including hospital staff.
Deadline: Immediately.
Destination: DHS.
Citation: Iowa Code § 232.69.
Attorney Notes: Immediate duty supports negligence‑per‑se theories.
Category 3 — Weapon Injuries
Trigger: Treatment of gunshot wound.
Who Must Report: Physicians.
Deadline: Immediately.
Destination: Law enforcement.
Citation: Iowa Code § 147.111.
Attorney Notes: Creates law‑enforcement notice trail.
Category 4 — Communicable Diseases
Trigger: Diagnosis or suspicion of a reportable disease.
Who Must Report: Providers and laboratories.
Deadline: Condition‑specific; many require immediate or 24‑hour reporting.
Destination: Iowa Department of Public Health.
Citation: Iowa Notifiable Diseases List.
Attorney Notes: Supports outbreak‑control analysis.
Category 5 — Complaints / Investigations
Timeline: No statutory requirement for when IDPH must initiate a hospital complaint investigation.
Citation: Complaint authority exists; no explicit timeline.
Attorney Notes: Delays may be relevant in oversight challenges.