[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 51 (Wednesday, March 17, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 13206-13208]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-6435]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Centers for Disease Control And Prevention
[INFO-99-12]


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 the Center for Disease Control and 
Prevention is providing opportunity for public comment on proposed data 
collection projects. To request more information on the proposed 
projects or to obtain a copy of the data collection plans and 
instruments, call the CDC Reports Clearance Officer on (404) 639-7090.
    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 for other 
forms of information technology. Send comments to Seleda Perryman, CDC 
Assistant Reports Clearance Officer, 1600 Clifton Road, MS-D24, 
Atlanta, GA 30333. Written comments should be received within 60 days 
of this notice.

Proposed Project

    1. Management of Occupational Blood Exposures and Antibiotic 
Prescription Practices Among United States Dentists--NEW--National 
Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (NCCDPHP). 
In U.S. health care facilities, both occupational transmission of 
bloodborne pathogens and antimicrobial resistance are important 
problems with significant morbidity and costs. Several public health 
initiatives have been undertaken or are being developed to increase 
compliance with recently published recommendations to reduce

[[Page 13207]]

occupational transmission of bloodborne pathogens and to assess current 
antibiotic use by physicians, hospital and other medical health-care 
workers. However, to date, there are limited data on dentists' 
implementation and knowledge of postexposure recommendations or on 
their antibiotic use. Therefore, the Centers for Disease Control and 
Prevention, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health 
Promotion, Division of Oral Health, intends to conduct a survey of the 
management of occupational blood exposures and antibiotic prescription 
practices among United States dentists. Information provided by these 
data are critical to the Division of Oral Health's ongoing efforts to 
protect dental workers from infection with bloodborne diseases and to 
target educational efforts aimed at increasing awareness of and 
compliance with current CDC recommendations. Information on antibiotic 
prescribing practices will help identify the most effective strategies 
for promoting appropriate use of antibiotics among dentists, provide an 
epidemiologic baseline on which to measure future behaviors, and assess 
the need for comprehensive guidelines.
    A random sample of currently practicing U.S. dentists will be 
mailed questionnaires with two follow-up mailings to non-respondents. 
The information collected will include demographic information, office 
policies for management of occupational blood exposures and training of 
dental staff, the weekly number of antibiotic prescriptions, the most 
commonly prescribed antibiotics, and the most common oral conditions 
for which antibiotics are prescribed. The total cost to respondents is 
$24,000.00.

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                                                                  Number of     Average  burden/
                 Respondents                     Number of        responses/      response  (in   Total  burden
                                                respondents       respondent         hours)         (in hours)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Practicing U.S. Dentists....................           3,600                1             0.25              900
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    2. An Evaluation of Targeted Health Communication Messages: Folic 
Acid and Neural Tube Defects--NEW-National Center for Environmental 
Health (NCEH). The Division of Birth Defects and Pediatric Genetics, 
National Center for Environmental Health, CDC, launched a national 
education campaign in January 1999 to increase women's knowledge about 
neural tube birth defects (NTDs) and the beneficial role folic acid, a 
B vitamin, plays in the prevention of NTDs. Studies show that a 50 to 
70 percent reduction in the risk of neural tube birth defects is 
possible if all women capable of becoming pregnant consume 400 
micrograms of folic acid daily both prior to and during early 
pregnancy.
    CDC and the March of Dimes Birth Defects Foundation developed 
health communication media messages and educational materials targeted 
to health care providers, as well as to English and Spanish-speaking 
women. These media messages and educational materials consist of 
television and radio public service announcements (PSA), brochures and 
resource manuals.
    Information about women's exposure to media messages and 
educational materials on folic acid information will be collected and 
measured to determine whether these exposures influenced the women's 
knowledge and usage of folic acid. Data will be collected via telephone 
interviews. The number and frequency of women's exposures to the media 
messages such as television and radio PSAs will be collected from media 
channels and compared to information collected from survey data, 
National Council on Folic Acid organizations and the National 
Clearinghouse on Folic Acid activities. The total cost to respondents 
is $0.

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                                                                  Number of     Average  burden/
                 Respondents                     Number of        responses/      response  (in   Total  burden
                                                respondents       respondent         hours)         (in hours)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Targeted Market for the Folic Acid Messages.           2,000                1              .33              666
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    3. Health Assessment of Persian Gulf War Veterans From Iowa: 
Follow-up on Asthma (0920-0425)--EXTENSION--National Center for 
Environmental Health (NCEH). The purpose of this proposed study is to 
collect additional data to validate health outcomes reported by 
participants in the Health Assessment of Persian Gulf War Veterans From 
Iowa. The original data collection consisted of a telephone survey of 
3,695 military personnel who served during the time of the Persian Gulf 
War and listed Iowa as their home of residence. Data will be collected 
from subjects who participated in the telephone survey to validate the 
self-report of asthma. Lung function assessment, tests of airways 
hyperactivity, and standard respiratory health questionnaires will be 
administered. Review of medical records, standard physical examination, 
and laboratory evaluation will be conducted to validate multi systemic 
conditions, including chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia. The 
total cost to respondents is $0.00.

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                                                                    Number of    Average burden/
                  Respondents                       Number of      responses/      response (in    Total burden
                                                   respondents     respondent         hrs)          (in hours)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
PGW Exposed and Non-PGW Veterans self-reporting             100               1            2.25            225
 asthma. Questionnaire (ATS and Adult
 Respiratory Health); Pulmonary Function Tests
 (spirometry, DLCO, lung volumes); Histamine
 Challenge.....................................

[[Page 13208]]

 
Normal Controls. (PGW/Non-PGW Vets denying                   50               1            2.25            112.5
 symptoms of asthma). Questionnaire (ATS and
 Adult Respiratory Health); Pulmonary Function
 Tests (spirometry, DLCO, lung volumes);
 Histamine Challenge...........................
      TOTAL....................................                                                            337.5
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    Dated: March 11, 1999.
Nancy Cheal,
Acting Associate Director for Policy, Planning and Evaluation, Centers 
for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
[FR Doc. 99-6435 Filed 3-16-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4163-18-P