Guide to the Application of Genotyping to Tuberculosis Prevention and Control

Developing a Tuberculosis Genotyping Program

Establishing Procedures for Receiving and Acting on Genotyping Results

The TB program will be responsible for receiving the genotyping report results from the genotyping laboratories, incorporating the new information into existing databases for analyses and actions, and distributing relevant information to local TB programs. This section describes options for establishing procedures for these components.

Receiving Genotyping Reports from the Genotyping Laboratory

The TB program must designate a person to receive the genotyping reports and identify that person on the CDC Tuberculosis Genotyping Program Application Form. If possible, the TB program should establish a data management system that can receive the genotyping laboratory reports by e-mail as an Excel attachment and electronically combine the new genotyping results with existing patient data. These procedures must be done in a manner that protects patient confidentiality.

The TB program will also need to designate the person who will have primary responsibility for analyzing and making initial decisions on the basis of the genotyping data. In highly centralized programs, all case information may be available to the TB controller, and most decisions can be made in that office. In other systems, it will be necessary to distribute the results to local programs or case managers for primary analysis and decision making. In both situations, it will be necessary to distribute appropriate information to local program staff members who are responsible for patient care.