Key points
The National Tuberculosis Indicators Project (NTIP) is a web-based tool that assists U.S. TB programs with program evaluation and monitoring their program's performance toward meeting the National TB Program Objectives. National TB Program Objectives reflect national TB program priorities in the United States.
Background
Program evaluation is one of the ten essential functions of public health. Since 2005, CDC has included program evaluation as a core requirement of the Tuberculosis Elimination and Laboratory Cooperative Agreement. NTIP helps program staff monitor performance progress, prioritize program activities, and focus program improvement efforts.
NTIP is a web-based tool that uses nationally set indicators to measure program progress toward achieving the National TB Objectives. NTIP provides TB program officials with reports generated from data submitted to CDC. The reports provide a snapshot of the program's overall performance and detailed indicator reports. The reports include:
- Graphs comparing their current performance to previous years and national averages and
- Summary tables of the variables used in each indicator and cohort calculation.
NTIP provides some individual case data for further investigation and evaluation. Using NTIP, CDC consultants and TB program officials can prioritize TB program activities.
National TB Program Objectives and Performance Targets
The National TB Program Objectives and Performance Targets reflect national TB priorities in the United States. Measuring and tracking program progress towards these nationally set objectives, targets, and indicators enables CDC and TB programs to assess the impact of state and local TB program efforts across sites, over time, and at the national level.
Cooperative Agreement Reporting Process
The Tuberculosis Elimination and Laboratory Cooperative Agreement uses the National TB Program Objectives as a framework for monitoring and managing programmatic activities. NTIP provides TB programs with reports of their progress on achieving these performance objectives using data collected and reported to CDC through electronic data reporting systems.
TB program officials then use NTIP to track and report progress toward achieving national objectives as part of the cooperative agreement reporting requirements (i.e., annual progress reports). TB programs also use NTIP to prepare their applications for continued funding. CDC consultants monitor individual program progress using NTIP and work with TB program officials and staff to identify areas needing technical assistance and further examination.
Access to NTIP
Access to NTIP is granted to state and local TB program staff by the designated TB system administrator(s) for their programs. Program staff can only be granted access to NTIP data for the programs or jurisdictions they work in.
NTIP reports are also available for some program areas that are not direct recipients of TB cooperative agreement funding. State program officials may request the development of additional reports for monitoring and working with their local jurisdictions.
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NTIP Data Sources
NTIP uses routine data reported to CDC from the following sources:
- Report of Verified Case of Tuberculosis (RVCT) through the National TB Surveillance System (NTSS)
- Aggregate Reports for Tuberculosis Program Evaluation (ARPE) on contacts of TB cases and targeted testing
- Electronic Disease Notification (EDN) system for the follow-up examination of immigrants and refugees with a B notification
- TB Genotyping Information System (TB GIMS)
- Population data from the U.S. Census Bureau
NTIP is updated weekly with data submitted to and received by CDC. This dynamic system allows program staff to generate reports using the most up-to-date data. Reports can also be generated using data frozen annually. Data generated using frozen data correspond to those reported in the CDC Annual TB Surveillance Report.
Program staff members are encouraged to review their program's NTIP data on a routine basis to ensure data submitted to CDC are accurate and complete. Individual case data are available to program staff for cross matching and validation with local registries.
NTIP and ARPE
The NTIP system hosts the electronic data entry and reporting of outcomes for TB contact investigations and targeted testing collected in the Aggregate Reports for Tuberculosis Program Evaluation (ARPE). State and local TB program staff use NTIP to submit ARPE reports to CDC.
Technical Assistance
CDC staff are available to assist in using and interpreting NTIP reports. CDC also provides technical assistance for accessing and navigating the NTIP system and understanding and resolving data questions. NTIP training for new program management staff is available on the TB Program Evaluation Network (PEN) Wiki and through various TB events, such as the Program Managers' course and TB PEN open forums.
More information about troubleshooting in NTIP is available in the NTIP User Guide, Data Companion, and Online Help Webpage. The Online Help Webpage is only accessible to TB Program staff who have been granted access to NTIP.
For technical assistance:
National TB Program Objectives and Performance Targets
The National TB Objectives Workgroup initially developed the National TB Program Objectives, Indicators, and Performance Targets in 2006. The objectives, indicators, and targets guide TB programs in collectively prioritizing and measuring effective TB program activities. National TB Program Objectives and Targets are updated every five years.
An NTIP Workgroup meets periodically to recommend updates to national objectives, indicators, and targets as well as updates of measurement and reporting to NTIP. The workgroup meets to discuss evolving TB:
- Surveillance,
- Epidemiology,
- Prevention,
- Treatment, and
- Programmatic needs.
The nationally set objectives, performance targets, and indicators allow CDC to summarize TB treatment and prevention efforts across the United States. The targets also allow state and local TB programs to monitor success and guide program evaluations.