The role of informed consent in tuberculosis testing and screening.

I n December 2010, the World Health Organization (WHO) endorsed the use of a new DNA-based test for tuberculosis (TB), the Gene Xpert [1]. This test is expected to revolutionise the care of TB and, especially, multidrug-resistant (MDR)TB, by providing accurate diagnoses in less than 2 h [2]. As healthcare professionals begin to incorporate rapid TB testing into clinical practice, questions about the need for informed consent will inevitably arise. Yet, despite decades of debate about informed consent to HIV testing and screening [3], informed consent to TB testing and screening has received virtually no discussion in the ethical or legal literature.