Aggregate Reports for Tuberculosis Program Evaluation (ARPE)

Updated February 16, 2023

This webpage includes information about the Follow-Up & Treatment of Contacts of Tuberculosis Patients Form and the Targeted Testing and Treatment for Latent Tuberculosis Infection Form.

Strategies for tuberculosis (TB) prevention include contact investigations [PDF – 4 MB], targeted testing, and treatment of latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI). The Aggregate Reports for Tuberculosis Program Evaluation (ARPE) provide national summaries of these activities carried out by TB programs in the U.S. TB programs submit these data through the National Tuberculosis Indicators Project (NTIP), a web-based monitoring tool that allows TB programs to monitor their performance toward meeting National TB Program Objectives and Performance Targets.

Contact investigation and targeted testing data are submitted to CDC using two separate ARPE forms: 1) Follow-Up & Treatment of Contacts of Tuberculosis Patients Form, and, 2) Targeted Testing and Treatment for Latent Tuberculosis Infection Form.

ARPE Follow-Up & Treatment of Contacts of Tuberculosis Patients Form

The Follow-Up & Treatment of Contacts of Tuberculosis Patients form provides an annual summary about identifying and evaluating contacts to TB cases and treating the contacts who test positive for latent TB infection (LTBI) using the following 3 categories of TB cases:

Sputum Smear Positive: are defined as cases that meet all of the following criteria: 1) inclusion in the overall surveillance count, 2) a disease site in the respiratory system including the airways, and 3) a positive acid-fast bacilli (AFB) sputum-smear result, whether or not any culture result is positive.

Sputum Smear Negative Culture Positive: are defined as cases that meet all of the following criteria: 1) inclusion in the overall surveillance count, 2) a disease site in the respiratory system including the airways, 3) negative AFB sputum smear results, and 4) sputum culture result positive for Mycobacterium tuberculosis.

Other: This category includes contact investigations that were done because of any circumstances not included in the other two categories. Example: Associate-contact or source-case investigations done because of TB in a child. The number of contacts is counted, but the number of cases for investigation is not.

Funded TB programs are required to submit a completed ARPE Follow-Up & Treatment of Contacts of Tuberculosis Patients form to CDC each year (due by March 31st). Contact investigation data are summarized annually in the Contact Investigations Report (ARPE Data) and the State and City TB Report.

A PDF copy of the form and updated guidance and brief instructions (updated in 2020; form 0920-0457; expiration date 01/31/2026) are available at the link below:

ARPE Follow-Up Treatment of Contacts of Tuberculosis Patients Form & Updated Guidance

On This Page

Contact Follow-Up Form
Targeted Testing Form
Submission
Related Links

Contact Follow-Up Form Data Items

Number of TB cases for investigation
Number of cases with no contacts
Number of contacts
Number of contacts evaluated
Number of contacts diagnosed with TB disease
Number of contacts diagnosed with LTBI
Number of contacts with LTBI who started treatment
Number of contacts with LTBI who started and then completed treatment
Number of contacts who did not complete LTBI treatment due to development of active TB
Number of contacts who did not complete LTBI treatment due to adverse effects of medicine
Number of contacts who did not complete LTBI treatment because they chose to stop treatment
Number of contacts who did not complete LTBI treatment because they were lost to follow-up
Number of contacts who did not complete LTBI treatment because they moved (follow-up was unknown)
Number of contacts who did not complete LTBI treatment due to death
Number of contacts who did not complete LTBI treatment due to health care provider decision to stop

Number of U.S.-born contacts
Number of non-U.S.–born contacts
Number of contacts evaluated by tuberculin skin test (TST)
Number of contacts evaluated by interferon-gamma release assay (IGRA)
Number of contacts with LTBI who started a prescribed treatment regimen of once-weekly isoniazid-rifapentine for 3 months (3HP)
Number of contacts with LTBI who started a prescribed treatment regimen of daily rifampin for 4 months (RIF 4 months; also known as 4R)
Number of contacts with LTBI who started a prescribed treatment regimen of daily isoniazid-rifampin for 3 months (3HR)
Number of contacts with LTBI who started a prescribed treatment regimen of isoniazid for 6 months (INH 6 months; also known as 6H)
Number of contacts with LTBI who started a prescribed treatment regimen of isoniazid for 9 months (INH 9 months; also known as 9H)
Number of contacts with LTBI who started treatment other than the drug regimens previously listed
Number of contacts with LTBI who started treatment without the drug regimen being documented
Number of patients who completed 3HP treatment
Number of patients who completed 4R/RIF (4 months) treatment
Number of patients who completed 3HR treatment
Number of patients who completed 6H/INH (6 months) treatment
Number of patients who completed 9H/INH (9 months) treatment
Number of patients who completed treatment other than the drug regimens listed previously
Number patients who completed treatment without the drug regimen being documented

ARPE Targeted Testing and Treatment for Latent Tuberculosis Infection Form

The Targeted Testing (TT) Form is used to submit annual summaries about targeted testing conducted among populations with a high prevalence rate of LTBI or a high risk of progression to TB from LTBI. TB programs can submit targeted testing data for persons using the following 3 categories:

Targeted Testing Project Category: Targeted testing projects for groups done at sites outside the health department, as determined for convenience or by the needs of the groups being tested.
Targeted Testing Individual Category: Targeted testing done one person at a time or by group but outside of testing projects, when testing is in accordance with national, state, or local guidelines for selecting persons who are at risk for TB and who are expected to be candidates for treatment if they have LTBI.
Targeted Testing Administrative Category: Targeted testing done when the testing is a low public health priority because the tested persons or groups are not at risk for TB and might not even be candidates for LTBI.

The TT form includes submission of data by Medical or Population risk. Every person who is listed with LTBI should be classified as either Medical risk or Population risk, but not both. If a person can be counted in both categories, they should only be listed as Medical risk. If a person has no known medical risks, they should be counted under Population risk.

Funded TB programs with high TB incidence (defined as >=150 cases per year) in their jurisdiction are required to submit targeted testing data for each calendar year (also known as a cohort year). Regardless of each jurisdiction’s level of TB incidence, all TB programs are encouraged to submit this information to CDC each year.

A PDF copy of this form and updated guidance and instructions are available at the link below:

The ARPE Targeted Testing and Treatment for Latent Tuberculosis Infection Form & Updated Guidance

Targeted Testing Form Data Items

Number of persons sought, enlisted, or registered for targeted testing projects
Number of persons evaluated
Number of persons diagnosed with TB disease
Number of persons diagnosed with LTBI
Number of persons with a medical risk who testing positive for LTBI
Number of persons with a population risk who testing positive for LTBI
Number of persons with a medical risk who are candidates for LTBI treatment
Number of persons with a population risk who are candidates for LTBI treatment
Number persons with LTBI with a medical risk who started treatment
Number of persons with LTBI with a population risk who started treatment
Number of persons with LTBI with a medical risk who started and then completed treatment
Number of persons with LTBI with a population risk who started and then completed treatment
Number of patients who did not complete treatment due to active TB developed
Number of patients who did not complete treatment due to adverse effect of medicine
Number of patients who did not complete treatment due to contact chose to stop
Number of patients who did not complete treatment due to contact lost to follow-up
Number of patients who did not complete treatment due to contact moved (follow-up unknown)
Number of patients who did not complete treatment due to death
Number of patients who did not complete treatment due to health care provider decision to stop

The Targeted Testing Form also includes data items for persons referred to by the health department for testing because of possible LTBI. All data items in Part III of the form are optional for submission.

When and How to Submit ARPE Data

ARPE contact follow-up and targeted testing data are submitted using the National Tuberculosis Indicators Project (NTIP) web-based tool. Only state and local TB program staff who are designated by the State Surveillance Administrator have been granted access to NTIP. Staff who need access to NTIP should contact their State Surveillance Administrator or the CDC’s DTBE Technical Support Helpdesk via DTBESupport@cdc.gov for assistance.

A preliminary report should be entered into NTIP by March 31 after the cohort year. The final report, including the completion of therapy data, are due for submission to CDC no later than the next March 31^st (one year after submission of the preliminary report). For example, by March 31^st, 2022, the preliminary report for cohort year 2021 and the final report for cohort year 2020 are due for submission to CDC.

More information about how to search, submit, upload, or export ARPE forms are listed in the NTIP Online Help Webpage (this webpage is only accessible to TB Program staff who have been granted access to NTIP).