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TB Notes NewsletterReturn to TB Notes 1, 2006 Main Menu This is an archived document. The links and content are no longer being updated. No. 1, 2006LABORATORY UPDATESNew Association of Public Health Laboratories (APHL) TB Steering Committee Formed
There are three benchmarks that the Steering Committee will be tasked with implementing. Benchmark one suggests that an ongoing assessment of available TB laboratory services is needed to determine the current status and capacity of services and to identify unmet needs, obstacles to obtaining laboratory services, and opportunities for improvement. Benchmark two addresses the need for an assessment of the true costs of providing TB laboratory services. The third and final benchmark involves the development of a strategic plan for implementing and maintaining a systems approach for TB control. The Committee met at APHL headquarters on November 21 and 22, 2005, to strategize a plan of action for implementing these benchmarks. —Submitted by APHL TB Steering Committee:
Laboratory Issues from the Northeastern TB Controllers Meeting SummaryThe Northeastern TB Controllers Meeting was held on September 26 and 27, 2005, at the New York State Department of Health, Albany, New York. The Northeast Regional Training and Medical Consultation Center in New Jersey serves the following states and cities: Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Jersey, New York, Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Ohio, Indiana, Michigan, New York City, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Detroit, and Washington, DC. For the first time, TB laboratory partners from each of these jurisdictions were invited to attend the meeting. Day one of the meeting included separate morning breakout sessions for the TB controllers and laboratorians, allowing them to discuss issues of significance in their particular realm. During the laboratory session, there were several key issues noted by the laboratory participants:
Several laboratory panel members also felt disconnected with CDC in terms of support and guidance during the Cooperative Agreement writing process. Still others felt that the goals CDC set are unrealistic without the promise of more financial support. These funding issues must be dealt with at the federal and state level in order for change to occur. The APHL TB Steering Committee has been addressing TB funding issues and will continue to be committed to helping the TB laboratory find equality of funding.
The afternoon session consisted of a joint roundtable session with both program and laboratory members. The roundtable discussion focused on the QFT-G assay, including issues surrounding funding, transportation of specimens, and cost, which is estimated to be $35 per test. While laboratorians agree that the QTF-G data look encouraging, the aforementioned questions still need to be answered before implementation can take place. New York State is currently the only jurisdiction in the region performing the QFT-G assay; however, this is only done on Department of Corrections patients. This specialized population was chosen in order to address the specimen stability problem. Inmates are transported from the prison to a site closer to the laboratory where blood is drawn and samples can be processed immediately. Day two of the meeting was packed with plenary sessions on TB contact investigation guidelines, program evaluation plans, the role of the National TB Controllers Association (NTCA), implementation of QFT and real-time genotyping, surveillance in low-incidence populations, and the investigation of an M. bovis cluster in New York City. The overall sentiment from participants was positive towards the first joint meeting of TB controllers and laboratorians in the Northeast region. Attendees felt that the meeting provided a good forum for sharing information from their respective jurisdictions and learning from others. In general, TB controllers and their laboratory partners have worked hard to establish good working relationships. Joint meetings afford all parties involved the opportunity to work together to improve funding, understand the limitations of new procedures, and address the obstacles encountered in new testing methods. This speaks to the need for collaborative education for both groups, in order to improve communication and maximize the use of resources. Hopefully future meetings with more time for discussion will help alleviate some of these issues. For questions about APHL or the APHL TB Steering Committee, please contact Anthony Tran, HIV, STD, and TB program manager, at anthony.tran@aphl.org or at (240) 485-2783. —Submitted by Anthony Tran, MPH, MT(ASCP)
Last Reviewed: 05/18/2008 |
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