CareCardTuberculosis Screening
How to prepare tuberculosis screening records when your program or placement assigns this requirement.
Applicability: Your program or placement may assign this screening requirement.
CareCard catalogue default: 365 days.
Evidence reviewed: August 30, 2026
Follow the exact test and date instructions in your CareCard requirement. A clinician or occupational-health service should choose and interpret the test; TST and IGRA are not interchangeable in every situation.
What your assigned requirement may ask for
- One-step or two-step tuberculin skin test (TST) records, including placement and reading dates and the induration in millimetres
- A chest X-ray report or medical assessment when indicated
- An IGRA laboratory report only when the assigned requirement and clinical guidance permit it
If you previously had a positive TST or documented TB disease, do not arrange another TST without clinical advice. Prior results and follow-up assessment may be required instead.
Current guidance
The Canadian Tuberculosis Standards recommend baseline screening for health care workers. Baseline screening includes an individual risk assessment, a symptom evaluation, and a TST for people without documented prior TB disease or TB infection. A baseline two-step TST is recommended unless a prior negative two-step test is documented; then a single-step test is used.
The standards strongly recommend against routine periodic testing of every health care worker with a negative baseline TST. Repeat testing may be used after a recognized exposure or for selected workers based on the health care organization's risk assessment. TST is preferred when serial testing is planned; IGRA is preferred or considered in specific circumstances described in the standards.
CareCard validity
CareCard's current catalogue default is 365 days. That operational default is not a claim that every person needs annual TB testing. The screening interval shown on your assigned requirement controls and should reflect the applicable program or placement policy.