DIAGNOSTIC-TOOLS IN TUBERCULOSIS - PRESENT AND FUTURE

Leadership will play a major role in the management of tuberculosis in the future. Many populations, such as immunocompromised patients and immigrants from countries with a higher prevalence of tuberculosis, cr eate a challenge for care and diagnosis. Mycobacterial laboratory test ing has undergone many changes in the past 10 years with the advent of nucleic acid probes for identification of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, and more recently nucleic acid amplification and beyond where compute r technology meets molecular biology. In the past, changes for tubercu losis testing were not incorporated rapidly, sometimes taking 20 years or more to be fully implemented. The dynamics of acceptance of change and more rapid implementation need to be understood. With the use of such programs as Fast Track for Tuberculosis Testing, this can be acco mplished more readily. New technologies can be provided to all users o f such a network within a short amount of time and health care provide rs can equally benefit from this novel approach. The tuberculosis labo ratory cannot stand alone. It must work together with other players, i n order to eliminate tuberculosis.