[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 19 (Thursday, January 29, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Pages 4301-4302]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-1843]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

[60Day-04-23]


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 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 Seleda Perryman, CDC 
Assistant Reports Clearance Officer, 1600 Clifton Road, MS-E11, 
Atlanta, GA 30333. Written comments should be received within 60 days 
of this notice.
    Proposed Project: National Electronic Disease Surveillance System 
(NEDSS)--New--Office of the Director (OD), Centers for Disease Control 
and Prevention (CDC).

Background

    CDC is responsible for the collection and dissemination of 
nationally notifiable diseases' information and for monitoring and 
reporting the impact of epidemic influenza on mortality, Public Health 
Services Act (42 U.S.C. 241). In April 1984, CDC Epidemiology Program 
Office (EPO) in cooperation with Cities, State and Territorial 
Epidemiologists (CSTE) and epidemiologists in six states began a pilot 
project, the Epidemiologic Surveillance Project (ESP), designed to 
demonstrate the efficiency and effectiveness of computer transmission 
of surveillance data between CDC and the state health departments. Each 
state health department used its existing computerized disease 
surveillance system to transmit specific data concerning each case of a 
notifiable disease, and CDC technicians developed computer software to 
automate the transfer of data from the state to CDC.
    In June 1985, CSTE passed a resolution supporting ESP as a workable 
system for electronic transmission of notifiable disease case reports 
from the states/territories to CDC, and as the program was extended 
beyond the original group of states, EPO began to provide software, 
training and technical support to state health department staff 
overseeing the transition from hard-copy to automated transmission of 
surveillance data.
    By 1989, all 50 states were using this computerized disease 
surveillance system, which was then renamed the National Electronic 
Telecommunications System for Surveillance (NETSS) to reflect its 
national scope. Core surveillance data are transmitted to CDC by the 
states and territories through NETSS. NETSS has a standard record 
format for data transmitted and does not require the use of a specific 
software program. The ability of NETSS to accept records generated by 
different software programs is what made it useful for the efficient 
integration of surveillance systems nationwide.
    Since 1999, CDC, Epidemiology Program Office (EPO) has worked with 
CSTE, state and local public health system staff, and other CDC disease 
prevention and control program staff to identify information and 
information technology standards to support integrated disease 
surveillance. That effort is now focused on development of the National 
Electronic Disease Surveillance System (NEDSS), coordinated by CDC's 
Deputy Director for Integrated Health Information Systems.
    NEDSS will electronically integrate and link together a wide 
variety of surveillance activities and will facilitate more accurate 
and timely reporting of disease information to CDC and state and local 
health departments. Consistent with recommendations supported by our 
state and local surveillance partners and described in the 1995 report, 
Integrating Public Health Information and Surveillance Systems, NEDSS 
will include data standards, an internet based communications 
infrastructure built on industry standards, and policy-level agreements 
on data access, sharing, burden reduction, and protection of 
confidentiality. To support NEDSS, CDC is supporting the development of 
an information system, the NEDSS Base System (NBS), which will use 
NEDSS technical and information standards, (http://www.cdc.gov/od/hissb/doc/NEDSSBaseSysDescription.pdf). We are requesting a three-year 
clearance of the NBS data that is not currently covered by an existing 
clearance. There are currently no costs to respondents because their 
costs will be covered by a grant from the CDC. However, there may be 
future costs associated with their participation in the NBS.

[[Page 4302]]



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                                                                                          Average
                                                                 No. of       No. of      burden/       Total
             Respondents                     Activity         respondents   responses/    response      burden
                                                                            respondent    (in hrs)      hours
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
State Health Departments............  Typing and gathering             16       10,000         2/60        5,333
                                       of the data.
                                      Transmission of the              16           52            1          832
                                       data.
                                     -------------------------
    Total...........................  ......................  ...........  ...........  ...........        6,165
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    Dated: January 22, 2004.
Alvin Hall,
Director, Management Analysis and Services Office, Centers for Disease 
Control and Prevention.
[FR Doc. 04-1843 Filed 1-28-04; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4163-18-P