[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 92 (Friday, May 13, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Pages 25574-25575]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-9561]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

[60Day-05-05BN]


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 404-371-5983 
and send comments to Seleda Perryman, CDC Assistant Reports Clearance 
Officer, 1600 Clifton Road, MS-D74, Atlanta, GA 30333 or send an e-mail 
to [email protected].
    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. Written comments should be received 
within 60 days of this notice.

Proposed Project

    Web-based Reporting Systems for Tobacco Control: A Nationwide 
Assessment--New--The Office on Smoking and Health (OSH), National 
Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (NCCDPHP), 
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Background and Brief Description

    Implementation of a Web-based reporting system assessment for the 
state health departments' tobacco control programs.
    As state health departments strive to standardize data collections 
to better evaluate progress toward strategic goals and objectives, a 
movement to develop web-based reporting systems is sweeping the field 
of public health. In October of 2002, through a Prevention Research 
Center (PRC) grant, researchers from the University of Minnesota 
conducted a national assessment of tobacco control program monitoring 
practices among state health departments. Results indicated that all 
states monitor tobacco control program activities through either paper 
or computer-based systems. In 1998, three states had computerized 
systems operating, whereas in 2002, thirteen states had launched 
systems and twenty-two more were in the planning/development stage 
(Blaine & Petersen, presented at National Conference on Tobacco or 
Health, San Francisco, November 20, 2002). Clearly, there is a trend 
toward developing database systems to assess and to monitor state 
tobacco prevention and control programs.
    However, recent loss of resources available to state tobacco 
control programs begs several questions: (1) How have tightened public 
health budgets affected the development of proposed and in-progress 
web-based monitoring systems? (2) What can we learn from states that 
have already implemented and upgraded their systems that can save time 
and money for states still in the development process? (3) How can we 
institute knowledge management systems that can facilitate horizontal 
information sharing? (4) Is there utility in creating a guidance 
document to better promote best practices in monitoring system 
development? (5) How can this information be used by the CDC to 
highlight the benefits to public health of state level computerized 
program reporting and monitoring systems?
    Roundtable discussions facilitated by the Office on Smoking and 
Health with state tobacco control program staff have focused on 
standardized data collection for contract management and process 
evaluation purposes. Participants expressed frustration that states are 
often ``recreating the wheel,'' with each state developing a unique 
system without the benefit of learning from states with web-based 
systems already in production. These discussions motivated the CDC to 
explore more efficient means of sharing lessons learned about 
computerized reporting systems.
    The proposed research will build on the findings of the previous 
study. Enhanced understanding of the proliferation, costs and benefits 
of these web-based reporting systems can (1) improve the capacity of 
the CDC to service state health departments' cooperative agreement 
technical assistance needs, (2) provide a template for the CDC as it 
considers how electronic monitoring systems could be expanded to other 
public health arenas besides tobacco control, and (3) save state health 
departments time and money by using the information gleaned from this 
research to create an accessible forum for knowledge sharing.
    The proposed study has three separate methodological components: 
(1) A nationwide baseline survey, (2) a follow-up phone interview with 
early adopters, and (3) select case studies. This is a one time only 
research study. This tiered research approach will provide a systematic 
overview of web-based reporting systems ranging from the macro-level to 
the micro-level. Aside from the minimal time needed to participate in 
the interviews, there will be no cost to participants.

[[Page 25575]]



                                       Estimate of Annualized Burden Table
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                                                                                        Average
                                                       Number of       Number of      burden per    Total burden
                    Respondents                       respondents    responses per   response  (in   (in hours)
                                                                      respondent        hours)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
States and DC baseline survey via phone interview.              51               1           30/60          25.5
Early Adopters focused responses via phone                      15               1             1.0          15.0
 interview........................................
Case Studies 3 per state X 3 states via site visit               9               1             1.5          13.5
                                                   -----------------
    Totals........................................  ..............  ..............  ..............            54
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    Dated: May 6, 2005.
Joan F. Karr,
Acting Reports Clearance Officer, Centers for Disease Control and 
Prevention.
[FR Doc. 05-9561 Filed 5-12-05; 8:45 am]
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