Can individuals be involuntarily confined even when they are noninfectious?
As a general rule, individuals have the right to ignore a doctor’s advice or refuse treatment if they wish. However, persons with infectious TB may lose that right if health officials believe these persons risk infecting others by not taking their prescribed medicine. Patients who are unwilling or unable to adhere to treatment may be required to do so by law or may be detained or isolated until noninfectious or until they complete treatment. State governments have legal responsibility for TB Control in Institutions activities, including treatment protocols for nonadherent patients; the health-care worker should refer to the laws in his or her state for those procedures. TB Control in Institutions programs should not begin procedures for confining patients to a treatment facility until after the patient has shown that he or she is unable or unwilling to follow a treatment regimen implemented outside such a facility. Involuntary confinement or isolation for inpatient treatment should be
