[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 170 (Friday, August 31, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Pages 46009-46010]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-21996]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

[30DAY-46-01]


Agency Forms Undergoing Paperwork Reduction Act Review

    The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) publishes a 
list of information collection requests under review by the Office of 
Management and Budget (OMB) in compliance with the Paperwork Reduction 
Act (44 U.S.C. Chapter 35). To request a copy of these requests, call 
the CDC Reports Clearance Officer at (404) 639-7090. Send written 
comments to CDC, Desk Officer, Human Resources and Housing Branch, New 
Executive Office Building, Room 10235, Washington, DC 20503. Written 
comments should be received within 30 days of this notice.

[[Page 46010]]

Proposed Project

    Report of Verified Cases of Tuberculosis (RVCT) OMB No. 0920-0026--
Extension--The National Center for HIV, STD, and TB Prevention 
(NCHSTP), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) proposes to 
continue data collection for the Report of Verified Case of 
Tuberculosis (RVCT). This request is for a 1-year extension of 
clearance. To accomplish the CDC goal of eliminating tuberculosis (TB) 
in the United States, CDC maintains the national TB surveillance 
system. The system, initiated in 1953, has been modified several times 
to better monitor and respond to changes in TB morbidity. The most 
recent modification was implemented in 1993 when the RVCT was expanded 
in response to the TB epidemic of the late 1980s and early 1990s and 
incorporated into a CDC software for electronic reporting of TB case 
reports to CDC. The expanded system improved the ability of CDC to 
monitor important aspects of TB epidemiology in the United States, 
including drug resistance, TB risk factors, including HIV coinfection, 
and treatment. The timely system also enabled CDC to monitor the 
recovery of the nation from the resurgence and identify that current TB 
epidemiology supports the renewed national goal of elimination. To 
measure progress in achieving this goal, as well as continue to monitor 
TB trends and potential TB outbreaks, identify high risk populations 
for TB, and gauge program performance, CDC proposes to extend use of 
the RVCT.
    Data are collected by 60 Reporting Areas (the 50 states, the 
District of Columbia, New York City, Puerto Rico, and 7 jurisdictions 
in the Pacific and Caribbean) using the RVCT. An RVCT is completed for 
each reported TB case and contains demographic, clinical, and 
laboratory information. A comprehensive software package, the 
Tuberculosis Information Management System (TIMS) is used for RVCT data 
entry and electronic transmission of TB case reports to CDC. TIMS 
provides reports, query functions, and export functions to assist in 
analysis of the data. CDC publishes an annual report summarizing 
national TB statistics and also periodically conducts special analyses 
for publication in peer-reviewed scientific journals to further 
describe and interpret national TB data. These data assist public 
health officials and policy makers in program planning, evaluation, and 
resource allocation. Reporting Areas also review and analyze their RVCT 
data to monitor local TB trends, evaluate program success, and assist 
in focusing resources to eliminate TB.
    No other federal agency collects this type of national TB data. In 
addition to providing technical assistance for use of the RVCT, CDC 
also provides Reporting Areas with technical support for the TIMS 
software. The total annual burden for this data collection is 8,338 
hours.

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                                                                                    Average       Average burden
                         Respondents                              Number of        responses/      per response
                                                                 respondents       respondent       (in hours)
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State & Local Health Departments.............................              60           277.92            30/60
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    Dated: August 24, 2001.
Nancy Cheal,
Acting Associate Director for Policy, Planning, and Evaluation Centers 
for Disease Control and Prevention.
[FR Doc. 01-21996 Filed 8-30-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4163-18-P