%0 Journal Article
%T Innovative Quality-Assurance Strategies for Tuberculosis Surveillance in the United States
%A Lilia Ponce Manangan
%A Cheryl Tryon
%A Elvin Magee
%A Roque Miramontes
%J Tuberculosis Research and Treatment
%D 2012
%I Hindawi Publishing Corporation
%R 10.1155/2012/481230
%X Introduction. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)¡¯s National Tuberculosis Surveillance System (NTSS) is the national repository of tuberculosis (TB) data in the United States. Jurisdictions report to NTSS through the Report of Verified Case of Tuberculosis (RVCT) form that transitioned to a web-based system in 2009. Materials and Methods. To improve RVCT data quality, CDC conducted a quality assurance (QA) needs assessment to develop QA strategies. These include QA components (case detection, data accuracy, completeness, timeliness, data security, and confidentiality); sample tools such as National TB Indicators Project (NTIP) to identify TB case reporting discrepancies; comprehensive training course; resource guide and toolkit. Results and Discussion. During July¨CSeptember 2011, 73 staff from 34 (57%) of 60 reporting jurisdictions participated in QA training. Participants stated usefulness of sharing jurisdictions¡¯ QA methods; 66 (93%) wrote that the QA tools will be effective for their activities. Several jurisdictions reported implementation of QA tools pertinent to their programs. Data showed >8% increase in NTSS and NTIP enrollment through Secure Access Management Services, which monitors system usage, from August 2011¨CFebruary 2012. Conclusions. Despite challenges imposed by web-based surveillance systems, QA strategies can be developed with innovation and collaboration. These strategies can also be used by other disease programs to ensure high data quality. 1. Introduction In 2010, there were 8.8 million new cases of tuberculosis (TB) disease reported worldwide, with over 1 million TB deaths [1]. In the United States, 11,182 people were newly diagnosed with TB disease [2]. The mission of the Division of Tuberculosis Elimination (DTBE), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is to promote health and quality of life by preventing, controlling, and eventually eliminating TB from the United States, and by collaborating with other countries and international partners in controlling TB globally [3]. Tuberculosis surveillance is a core public health function. Ongoing and systematic collection, analysis, interpretation, and dissemination of surveillance data allow programs to target control interventions that provide the most impact in eliminating TB [4]. These surveillance data are essential in describing morbidity and mortality, monitoring trends in TB incidence and prevalence, detecting potential outbreaks, and defining high-risk groups. In addition, TB data are needed to evaluate TB control programs, identify deficiencies,
%U http://www.hindawi.com/journals/trt/2012/481230/