title: Technology and tuberculosis control: the OUT-TB Web experience.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Develop a tool to disseminate integrated laboratory, clinical, and demographic case data necessary for improved contact tracing and outbreak detection of tuberculosis (TB).
  
  
  METHODS
  In 2007, the Public Health Ontario Laboratories implemented a universal genotyping program to monitor the spread of TB strains within Ontario. Ontario Universal Typing of TB (OUT-TB) Web utilizes geographic information system (GIS) technology with a relational database platform, allowing TB control staff to visualize genotyping matches and microbiological data within the context of relevant epidemiological and demographic data.
  
  
  RESULTS
  OUT-TB Web is currently available to the 8 health units responsible for >85% of Ontario's TB cases and is a valuable tool for TB case investigation. Users identified key features to implement for application enhancements, including an e-mail alert function, customizable heat maps for visualizing TB and drug-resistant cases, socioeconomic map layers, a dashboard providing TB surveillance metrics, and a feature for animating the geographic spread of strains over time.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  OUT-TB Web has proven to be an award-winning application and a useful tool. Developed and enhanced using regular user feedback, future versions will include additional data sources, enhanced map and line-list filter capabilities, and development of a mobile app.
authors: Public Health Ontario, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
authors: Jennifer L
authors: JL
authors: Guthrie
authors: Department of Biology, University of Regina, Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada.
authors: David C
authors: DC
authors: Alexander
authors: Public Health Ontario, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
authors: Alex
authors: A
authors: Marchand-Austin
authors: Public Health Ontario, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
authors: Karen
authors: K
authors: Lam
authors: Public Health Ontario, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
authors: Michael
authors: M
authors: Whelan
authors: Public Health Ontario, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
authors: Brenda
authors: B
authors: Lee
authors: Faculty of Information, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.|Institute for Health Policy, Management, and Evaluation, University of Toronto.
authors: Colin
authors: C
authors: Furness
authors: Toronto Public Health, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.|Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto.
authors: Elizabeth
authors: E
authors: Rea
authors: Toronto Public Health, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
authors: Rebecca
authors: R
authors: Stuart
authors: Toronto Public Health, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
authors: Julia
authors: J
authors: Lechner
authors: Peel Public Health, Mississauga, Ontario, Canada.
authors: Monali
authors: M
authors: Varia
authors: Peel Public Health, Mississauga, Ontario, Canada.
authors: Jennifer
authors: J
authors: McLean
authors: Public Health Ontario, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.|Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, University of Toronto.
authors: Frances B
authors: FB
authors: Jamieson
mesh_terms: D004196:Disease Outbreaks; D005838:Genotype; D040362:Geographic Information Systems; D006801:Humans; D020407:Internet; D017720:Molecular Epidemiology; D009169:Mycobacterium tuberculosis / Q000235:genetics*; D009864:Ontario / Q000453:epidemiology; D062486:Public Health Surveillance / Q000379:methods*; D012984:Software; D014376:Tuberculosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology; D014584:User-Computer Interface
keywords: data display; molecular epidemiology; public health surveillance; technology; tuberculosis