[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 223 (Wednesday, November 19, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 65290-65291]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-28865]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

[30DAY-71-03]


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) 498-1210. Send written 
comments to CDC, Desk Officer, Human Resources and Housing Branch, New 
Executive Office Building, Room 10235, Washington, DC 20503 or by fax 
to (202) 395-6974. Written comments should be received within 30 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.
    [sbull] To determine the most successful approach state 
laboratories should use based on the organizational structure and 
climate of the state health department. The estimated annual burden is 
325 hours.

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                                                                                      No. of        Avg. burden
                           Respondents                                No. of       responses per   per response
                                                                    respondents     respondent       (in hrs.)
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Survey of State Public Health Directors in States Without NLS...              50               1           30/60
Survey of Clinical Laboratory Directors in All States...........             600               1           30/60
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[[Page 65291]]

    Dated: November 13, 2003.
Laura Yerdon Martin,
Acting Director, Office of the Executive Secretariat, Centers for 
Disease Control and Prevention.
[FR Doc. 03-28865 Filed 11-18-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4163-18-P