TB Elimination

November 2009 Website - www.cdc.gov/tb Page 1 of 3

TB Genotyping Information Management System 

(TB GIMS)

What is TB GIMS?

The TB Genotyping Information Management 

System (TB GIMS) is a secure web-based 

system that:

 Stores and manages genotyping data on TB 

patients in the United States

 Allows users to submit and track Mycobacterium 

tuberculosis isolates to and from the contract 

genotyping labs

 Provides immediate notification of genotyping 

results and updates to TB labs and programs

 Links isolate data to patient-level surveillance 

data

 Provides reports on genotype clusters, including 

national genotype distribution

 Provides national, state, and county maps of 

genotype clusters

What are the objectives of TB GIMS?

 To improve access to and dissemination of 

genotyping information nationwide

 To serve as a standard database that local 

programs can use to

l	Track Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex 

isolates sent to contract genotyping 

laboratories

l Receive and update genotyping information 

on TB patients

l Access nationwide genotyping information

 To provide a way to alert users about potential 

TB outbreaks in their jurisdictions

Who are the primary users of TB GIMS? 

 TB laboratories that submit isolates for 

genotyping

 Contract genotyping laboratories in California 

and Michigan

 TB programs

 CDC 

How do I access TB GIMS?

Access to TB GIMS will be coordinated by a designated 

person in a state known as TB GIMS Administrator. 

Check with the TB Controller in your state for details. 

Registration for TB GIMS will be done in phases, 

starting in spring 2010. There are different user roles and 

access levels in TB GIMS:

l Super User

l Standard User

l Restricted-access User

(See table 1 for more information on TB GIMS user 

roles)

What can a Super User do?

Super Users will have unrestricted access to TB GIMS 

for their jurisdiction. They will be able to update, edit, 

enter, upload, review, search, import, and export all TB 

GIMS data.

CDC suggests that most jurisdictions should designate 

two Super Users. It is suggested that the two Super Users 

be the:

1. Person in the laboratory with primary responsibility 

for submitting isolates to the genotyping laboratories; 

and

2. Person from the TB program with the primary 

responsibility for managing, validating, and analyzing 

genotype-related activities for their jurisdiction.
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What can a Standard User do?

A Standard User has access to genotyping data, but 

cannot edit data in the system. Standard Users can search 

for genotyping results by case (using patient identifiers) 

or by specific genotype strains (e.g., spoligotype or 

MIRU patterns), and can view details related to their 

queries on genotype clusters.

CDC assumes that most TB GIMS users will be 

Standard Users. TB Program managers and other staff 

who use genotype data in contact investigations, TB 

program evaluation, incident response, and other TB 

control activities are suggested to be Standard Users.

What can a Restricted-access User do?

Restricted-access Users will not have access to patientlevel data, but will be able to view aggregate summary 

data reports. CDC envisions Restricted-access Users to 

be partners not directly involved with patient-level or 

programmatic activities.

Is there a difference between an 

Administrator and a Super User?

An Administrator may or may not be a Super User. If 

an Administrator chooses to be a Super User, he or she 

is responsible for regular maintenance of the TB GIMS 

data along with providing a list of applicants for their 

jurisdiction.

How does TB GIMS affect laboratories that 

submit isolates for genotyping? 

TB GIMS will replace the Excel spreadsheets that 

were previously used to submit isolates and receive 

genotyping results. Laboratories that routinely submit 

isolates to the contract genotyping laboratory should 

register for user access for their jurisdiction. Laboratory 

user roles will be similar to TB program user roles (e.g., 

Super User, Standard User) and will have laboratoryspecific functions such as submitting and tracking 

isolates to and from the contract genotyping laboratories.

Table 1: TB GIMS User Roles

Super User Standard User Restricted-access User

Access to GIMS data? Unrestricted access Regular access Limited access

Search Data? Yes Yes No

View Data? l Can view aggregated data

l Can see line-listed data

l Can view aggregated data

l Can see line-listed data

l Can view aggregated 

data

l Cannot see line-listed 

data

Edit Data? Yes No No

Export Data? l Can export line-listed data

l Can export reports

l Can export line-listed data

l Can export reports

l Do not have access to 

line-listed data

l Can export reports

View Maps? l Can view national, state, 

and county level maps at zip 

code level

l Can view national, state, 

and county level maps at 

zip code level

l Can view national and 

state maps

l Cannot view county 

level maps

Typical Users? Program epidemiologists, 

genotype coordinators of 

a jurisdiction who deal 

with daily genotype-related 

activities

Program managers and other 

staff who use genotype data 

in contact investigations, TB 

program evaluation, incident 

response and other TB 

control activities

Researchers and other 

partners not directly 

involved with patient-level 

or programmatic activities
November 2009 Website - www.cdc.gov/tb Page 3 of 3 

What are CDC data use agreements and 

“rules of behavior”?

CDC data use agreements and “rules of behavior” 

provide general instructions on the appropriate use of 

Information Technology resources. “Rules of behavior” 

are not to be used in place of existing policy. Rather 

they are intended to supplement the Health and Human 

Services (HHS) Information Security Program Policy 

[http://www.cms.hhs.gov/InformationSecurity/]. All TB 

GIMS users must sign these agreements electronically to 

access and view genotype data.

What will happen to previously submitted 

genotyping data?

TB GIMS will contain all CDC genotyping results 

that have been reported since 2004. Matching patient 

surveillance data will be available for all isolates that 

have been assigned a state case number. Super users can 

identify isolates with no assigned matching state case 

number and designate an assignment within TB GIMS.

Can data be exported from TB GIMS? 

In what format?

Data can be exported from TB GIMS by Super Users 

only. The current format for exporting line-listed data 

is in an Excel spreadsheet, which can be manipulated 

directly or imported into a statistical package of your 

choice.

For all other queries and standard reports and maps, PDF 

format will be used and data can be printed directly from 

TB GIMS by using a simple print function at the bottom 

of each screen.

How much will TB GIMS cost users and 

public health departments?

TB GIMS is a web-based application provided by CDC 

for better dissemination and understanding of genotyping 

results and reports. TB GIMS is available to users and 

health departments free of charge.

Additional Information

For more information on TB GIMS, please contact

DTBESupport@cdc.gov.

Will Regional Training and Medical 

Consultation Centers (RTMCCs) and 

other academic institutions be able to 

access TB GIMS?

Users who want TB GIMS data from multiple 

jurisdictions will need to apply for access to each of 

the desired jurisdictions. For example, if the Heartland 

National TB Center wants to view genotyping data for 

the states in their region, the nurse consultant from the 

Center would apply to each state in their region for 

access as a user. This feature will be available at a later 

phase of TB GIMS.

Will TB GIMS allow for sharing genotyping 

data across jurisdictions?

TB GIMS does allow for sharing data across 

jurisdictions. All users will have access to maps and 

aggregate cluster distribution reports similar to currently 

disseminated “National Distribution Reports.” Patientlevel data cannot be shared across jurisdiction in the first 

phase that will be released in 2010.

How is information protected in TB GIMS?

CDC is committed to maintaining strict confidentiality 

and security of the national surveillance information 

through the National TB Surveillance System (NTSS). 

TB GIMS is an extension of NTSS and will be protected 

in the following ways:

1. Data encryption will be employed when data is transmitted between users and TB GIMS;

2. Only authorized users with accounts authenticated via 

CDC’s Secure Access Management System (SAMS) will 

be able to gain access to the system;

3. TB GIMS data will be separately housed on servers 

protected by SAMS and application firewalls to prevent 

unauthorized access;

4. TB GIMS is designed to display data/information 

based on user roles to ensure users only have access to 

what they have been authorized by Administrators;

5. All potential users must be individually invited and 

authorized by local TB GIMS Administrators and CDC 

Administrators.