[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 124 (Friday, June 27, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 38343-38344]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-16282]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

[60 Day-03-84]


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 the CDC Reports 
Clearance Officer on (404) 498-1210.
    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

[[Page 38344]]

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. Send 
comments to Dale Verell, 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: Evaluation of the Process Required to Effectively 
Expand the National Laboratory System (NLS) to ALL States--New--Public 
Health Practice Program Office (PHPPO), Centers for Disease Control and 
Prevention (CDC). In October 2000, the Centers for Disease Control and 
Prevention (CDC) and the Association of Public Health Laboratories 
(APHL) collaborated to support demonstration projects designed to test 
the feasibility of strengthening the relationship between private 
clinical and public health laboratories to more rapidly identify and 
respond to emerging problems of public health importance. The National 
Laboratory System (NLS) concept was proposed because of concerns about 
the potential impact that a lack of integration among clinical and 
public health laboratories could have on the ability of the public 
health system to identify and carry out a timely response to foodborne 
illnesses, bioterrorism incidents or other emerging diseases.
    NLS demonstration projects are funded in four states--Washington, 
Michigan, Minnesota and Nebraska.
    The NLS concept would promote communication and collaboration 
between clinical laboratories and state public health laboratories 
within their states. CDC is now proposing to collect data from all 
state public health laboratory directors and from a sample of clinical 
laboratories in each state to determine the interest within states in 
implementing the NLS concept. Results of the data collection will be 
stratified by state and used to assist each state's public health 
laboratory in improving communication and collaboration with the 
clinical laboratories in their state. As more states implement the 
systems, the ability to respond to national emergencies through 
individual state systems, would be improved.
    The goals of the data collection are:
    [sbull] To determine the barriers that must be overcome to expand 
the NLS concept in other states
    [sbull] To determine the readiness of states to develop 
relationships with clinical laboratories
    [sbull] To determine the most effective communication links for 
sharing information among state public health laboratories and clinical 
laboratories within the state
    [sbull] To understand what topics of public health significance 
could be addressed in each state if communication and coordination 
between the clinical and state public health laboratories were 
improved. There are no costs to respondents.

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                                                                            No. of        Average
                                                              No. of       responses    burden per      Total
                       Respondents                          respondents       per      response (in   burden (in
                                                                          respondent       hrs.)        hrs.)
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Survey of State Public Health Directors in States Without           50             1         30/60        25
 NLS.....................................................
Survey of Clinical Laboratory Directors in All States....          600             1         30/60       300
                                                          ---------------
      Total..............................................  ............  ............  ............      325
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    Dated: June 23, 2003.
Thomas A. Bartenfeld,
Acting Associate Director for Policy, Planning and Evaluation, Centers 
for Disease Control and Prevention.
[FR Doc. 03-16282 Filed 6-26-03; 8:45 am]
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