In 1953, national incidence reporting began in the U.S., with documented cases and operational data from each reporting jurisdiction submitted in aggregate. Tuberculosis (TB) incidence (or case notification) was used globally for monitoring trends, planning, and evaluating public health programs.

By 1985, all jurisdictions were reporting individual cases using a standardized form, the Report of Verified Case of Tuberculosis (RVCT). In 1993, the RVCT was expanded to include additional risk factors and laboratory information, and TB surveillance data began to be entered and transmitted to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) through a single software system.