[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 52 (Thursday, March 16, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 14284-14286]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-6486]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

[60Day-00-27]


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. Workplace Exacerbation of Asthma--NEW--The National Institute of 
Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)--Work-related asthma is the most 
common lung disease seen in occupational health clinics in the United 
States based on data from the Association of Occupational and 
Environmental Clinics for 1991-1996. Work-related asthma includes both 
new onset asthma initiated by workplace exposures and preexisting 
asthma exacerbated by workplace environments, because in both types of 
cases repeated exposure to asthmatic agents can lead to chronic 
pulmonary impairment. Also, the 1985 American Thoracic Society 
statement ``What Constitutes an Adverse Health Effect of Air 
Pollution'' identified exacerbation of asthma as one of the serious 
effects of environmental air pollution. While anecdotal evidence 
suggests that as many as one-half of work-related asthma patients 
treated in occupational medicine clinics had pre-existing asthma that 
was exacerbated by workplace conditions, there is little data from 
studies in the United States to support this claim.
    This study will investigate the frequency, causes, and consequences 
of workplace exacerbation of asthma (WEA). Given the diversity of 
workplace agents and processes associated with asthma, a population-
based, rather than industry-based, study is needed to ascertain the 
full extent of the problem. This will be achieved by surveying adults 
with asthma. The Specific Aims are: (1) To determine the frequency of 
workplace exacerbation of asthma. (2) To determine the circumstances at 
work associated with exacerbation of asthma. (3) To determine the 
social and economic costs associated with workplace exacerbation of 
asthma. (4) To determine the sensitivity and specificity of self-
reported workplace exacerbation of asthma. (5) To determine whether 
workplace exacerbation of asthma contributes to progression of disease. 
The design is a prospective cohort study with a nested validation 
study. A questionnaire will be completed in the baseline study to 
address Specific Aims 1-3. Also, patient care records will be used to 
ascertain cost of asthma care for each participant (Specific Aim 3). A 
subset of employed subjects with and without workplace exacerbation 
will be requested to conduct serial spirometry, and the findings will 
serve as the ``gold standard'' to determine the sensitivity and 
specificity of a self-report of workplace exacerbation of asthma 
(Specific Aim 4). All subjects from the baseline study will be asked to 
complete a follow-up questionnaire approximately two years later to 
investigate whether workplace exacerbation at baseline predicts an 
increase in asthma severity (Specific Aim 5).
    The data collected in this study will be used to further current 
understanding of the frequency of workplace-exacerbated asthma, the 
social and economic impacts of this problem, and the implication of a 
report of WEA for subsequent asthma severity. This information can be 
used to prioritize resources for addressing this problem. The data 
collected in this study will also identify which jobs and exposures are 
likely to exacerbate existing asthma, thus providing guidance on where 
to focus preventive efforts. The data collected in this study on the 
validity of a self-report of WEA will be useful to both clinicians and 
researchers who attempt to treat or study individuals with this 
problem.
    Based on an average hourly wage of $15 among all occupational 
groups combined, the total cost to respondents is $37,500.

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                                                                     Number of      Avg. burden
        Respondents (adults with asthma)             Number of      responses/     per response    Total burden
                                                    respondents     respondent       (in hrs.)       (in hrs.)
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Baseline Study..................................             800               1             0.5             400
Validation Study................................             240               1             7.5            1800
Follow-up Study.................................             600               1             0.5             300
                                                 ---------------------------------------------------------------
    Total.......................................  ..............  ..............  ..............            2500
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[[Page 14285]]

    2. Jail STD Prevalence Monitoring System--New--National Center for 
HIV, STD, and TB Prevention (NCHSTP)--Proposes a 3-year clearance for 
data collection of the standardized record layout for the Jail STD 
Prevalence Monitoring System. This system consists of test data 
compiled for persons entering corrections facilities. The standard data 
elements were created in response to the need to systematically assess 
morbidity in persons entering corrections facilities who are at high 
risk for STDs and who often do not seek medical care in mainstream 
medical settings. Use of these standard data elements will improve 
surveillance of STDs by allowing for systematic assessment of a high 
risk population, taking advantage of already computerized data. States 
that compile data from corrections facilities are encouraged to 
participate in the system.
    In most places, STD test results for persons in corrections 
facilities are computerized by the laboratory or by the health 
department. The burden of compiling data in the standardized format 
involves running a computer program to convert the data to the 
specified format. This involves an initial investment of time by a 
programmer but afterwards involves only running the program once a 
quarter (average of 3 hours/quarter). Therefore, the respondent burden 
is approximately 12 hours/year.
    If a respondent does not already have computerized test results for 
persons in corrections facilities and must enter the data, the burden 
of data entry is approximately 1.5 minute per record, and on average 
respondent enter approximately 1250 records per quarter for a total 
burden of 1500 minutes/quarter (31 hours/quarter). During the next 3 
years, we expect approximately 20 project areas per year to 
participate. Approximately 15 will have already computerized data for a 
burden of 180 hours (15 x 12hrs) per year and five will enter data for 
a burden of 620 hours (5 x 124 hrs) per year. The total burden to 
respondents is approximately 800 hours per year.
    Total estimated cost to respondents is $13,800 per year. This is 
calculated by the above burden of 180 hours of computer programming 
time at $25/hr (180-0A$25=$4,500) plus 620 hours of data entry time at 
$15/hr (620-0A$15=$9,300) for a total of $13,800. The estimated cost to 
the Federal Government is $55,000 per year which includes the cost of 
staff time in providing technical assistance, managing and analyzing 
data, and preparing reports.

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                                                           Number of
           Respondents                 Number of          responses/      Average burden per     Total burden
                                      respondents         respondent      response (in hrs.)
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State/local health departments..  Up to 65 STD        4 datasets/yr       3 hrs/dataset (if   12 hrs/yr (if data
                                   project areas.      (approx 5000        data entry          entry needed, 124
                                                       total records).     needed, 31 hrs      hours/yr).
                                                                           per dataset).
                                 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Total.......................  ..................  ..................  ..................  124
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    3. AIDS Prevention and Surveillance Project Reports, 0920-0208. The 
National Center for HIV, STD, and TB Prevention (NCHSTP)--proposes to 
continue data collection for the AIDS Prevention and Surveillance 
Project Reports, previously approved under OMB No. 0920-0208. This 
request is for a 3-year extension of clearance.
    CDC funds cooperative agreements for 65 HIV Prevention Projects (50 
states, 6 cities, 7 territories, Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico). 
The cooperative agreements support counseling, testing, referral, and 
partner notification programs conducted by official public health 
agencies of states, territories, and localities (project areas). HIV 
counseling and testing in STD clinics, Women's Health Centers, Drug 
Treatment Centers, and other health agencies has been described as a 
primary prevention strategy of the national HIV Prevention Program. 
These project areas have increased HIV counseling and testing 
activities to specifically reach more minorities and women of child 
bearing age.
    CDC is responsible for monitoring and evaluating HIV prevention 
activities conducted under the cooperative agreement. Counseling and 
testing programs are a major component of the HIV Prevention Program. 
Without data to measure the impact of counseling and testing programs, 
priorities cannot be assessed and redirected to prevent further spread 
of the virus in the general population. CDC needs information from all 
project areas on the number of at-risk persons tested and the number 
positive for HIV. The HIV Counseling and Testing Report Form provides a 
simple yet complete means to collect this information.
    Respondents will be able to use either a manual or an electronic 
scan form. Seventeen respondents (project areas) will use the manual 
data collection tool. It takes approximately 2 hours to complete the 
form. The respondents will complete the form 4 times each year for a 
total burden of 8 hours per year per project area. Forty-eight (48) 
respondents (project areas) will use the scan form or client record 
format. It will take approximately 15 minutes for each project area to 
transfer data electronically on a quarterly basis for a total burden 
per project area of 1 hour per year. Therefore, the total burden hours 
for collecting this data will be 184 hours.
    CDC will support costs to respondents for data collection and 
analysis in areas using the manual and scan form out of funds budgeted 
for these purposes. CDC will spend an estimated 650 hours entering, 
uploading, and analyzing the data. Using an estimated cost of $40 per 
hour, this cost would be $26,000 annually (650 hours  x $40). Using an 
estimated cost of $30.00 per hour, the total burden to the manual form 
respondent will be $240 annually (8 hours  x $30). ($4,080 total) Using 
an estimated cost of $30.00 per hour, the total burden to the scan form 
respondent will be $120 annually (4 hours  x $30) ($5,760 total).
    The total cost to the Federal government will be approximately 
$26,000/year. The total cost to respondents will be approximately 
$9,840/year. The total burden hours are expected to be 184 burden hours 
per year.

[[Page 14286]]



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                                                                     Number of    Average burden
                   Respondents                       Number of     responses per   response/ (in   Total burden
                                                    respondents     respondent         hrs.)         (in hrs.)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Manual form project areas.......................              17               4               2             136
Scan form project areas.........................              48               4             .25              48
    Total.......................................              65                                             184
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    Dated: March 9, 2000.
Charles Gollmar,
Acting Associate Director for Policy, Planning, and Evaluation, Centers 
for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
[FR Doc. 00-6486 Filed 3-15-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4163-18-P