[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 201 (Thursday, October 16, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 61423-61424]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-24558]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

[60-Day-08-09AA]


Proposed Data Collections Submitted for Public Comment and 
Recommendations

    In compliance with the requirement of Section 3506(c)(2)(A) of the 
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 for opportunity for public comment on 
proposed data collection projects, the Centers for Disease Control and 
Prevention (CDC) will publish periodic summaries of proposed projects. 
To request more information on the proposed projects or to obtain a 
copy of the data collection plans and instruments, call 404-639-5960 
and send comments to Maryam I. Daneshvar, CDC Acting Reports Clearance 
Officer, 1600 Clifton Road, MS-D74, Atlanta, GA 30333 or send an e-mail 
to <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#e887858aa88b8c8bc68f879e"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="76191b143615121558111900">[email protected]</span></a>.
    Comments are invited on: (a) Whether the proposed collection of 
information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of 
the agency, including whether the information shall have practical 
utility; (b) the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden of the 
proposed collection of information; (c) ways to enhance the quality, 
utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and (d) ways 
to minimize the burden of the collection of information on respondents, 
including through the use of automated collection techniques or other 
forms of information technology. Written comments should be received 
within 60 days of this notice.

Proposed Project

    BioSense Recruitment Survey for Data Collection--New--National 
Center for Public Health Informatics (NCPHI), Coordinating Center for 
Health Information and Service (CCHIS), Centers for Disease Control and 
Prevention (CDC).

Background and Brief Description

    Congress passed the Public Health Security and Bioterrorism 
Preparedness and Response Act of 2002, which requires specific 
activities related to bioterrorism preparedness and response. This 
congressional mandate outlines the need for improving the overall 
public's health through electronic surveillance. The Department of 
Health and Human Services outlined strategies aimed at achieving this 
goal via the Public Health IT Initiative thereby creating the BioSense 
program.
    BioSense is the national, human health surveillance system designed 
to improve the nation's capabilities for disease detection, monitoring, 
and real-time health situational awareness. This work is enhanced by 
providing public health real-time access to existing data from 
healthcare organizations, state syndromic surveillance systems, 
national laboratories, and others for just in time public health 
decision-making. BioSense data are analyzed and made accessible through 
the BioSense application. The application provides data, charts, 
graphs, and maps through a secure Web-based interface which can be 
accessed by CDC and authorized state and local public health and 
hospital users.
    In order to meet the congressional mandate, the BioSense program 
must recruit prospective data sources and collect certain information 
from each. This includes information on the types of data available, 
the types of computer systems used, and the approximate record volume. 
This information is used by BioSense personnel and contractors to 
design hardware and software to

[[Page 61424]]

connect the potential data source. To collect this information, a 
series of questionnaires in an Excel spreadsheet have been designed. 
Data collection will take place during and after on-site visits by 
BioSense personnel and contractors. We estimate that such data will be 
collected from 20 new entities (each representing many facilities or 
clinics) each year.
    A second requirement is that electronic data records be transmitted 
to the BioSense system. Currently, data are transmitted from 35 
entities, including 8 state or local health departments and 22 
hospitals/hospital groups (which collectively transmit data from 460 
hospitals); the Department of Veterans Affairs (which transmits data 
from 820 facilities), the Department of Defense (which transmits data 
from 320 facilities), 2 national laboratories, and one pharmacy claims 
system (which transmits data from >30,000 pharmacies). The data may 
include foundational data (e.g., demographics, chief complaint, 
diagnosis), laboratory data, pharmacy data, radiology data, or detailed 
emergency department data (e.g., vital signs, triage notes, 
medications). All are submitted via electronic record transmission, 
generally using a software program called PHIN-MS. A large number of 
electronic records are transmitted from each entity each year; however, 
once the automated interfaces are set up for transmission, there is no 
human burden for record transmission.
    There are no costs to prospective data sources other than their 
time.

                                        Estimated Annualized Burden Hours
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                     Number of    Average burden
                 Instrument type                     Number of     responses per   per response    Total burden
                                                    respondents     respondent      (in hours)      (in hours)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Recruitment of perspective data source entities.              20               1            4/60             1.5
                                                 ---------------------------------------------------------------
    Total.......................................  ..............  ..............  ..............             1.5
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    Dated: October 7, 2008.
Maryam I. Daneshvar,
Acting Reports Clearance Officer, Centers for Disease Control and 
Prevention.
[FR Doc. E8-24558 Filed 10-15-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4163-18-P


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