[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 159 (Thursday, August 18, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Page 48550]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-16368]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

[30Day-05-0680]


Proposed Data Collections Submitted for Public Comment and 
Recommendations

    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) 371-5983 or send an e-mail 
to [email protected]. Send written comments to CDC Desk Officer, Office of 
Management and Budget, Washington, DC or by fax to (202) 395-6974. 
Written comments should be received within 30 days of this notice.

Proposed Project

    Model Performance Evaluation Program (MPEP), Severe Acute 
Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) MPEP OMB No. 0920-0680--Revision--Division 
of Laboratory Systems, Center for Health Information and Services 
(CoCHIS), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Background and Brief Description

    To support our mission of improving public health and preventing 
disease through continuously improving laboratory practices, the Model 
Performance Evaluation Program (MPEP), Division of Public Health 
Partnerships, Coordinating Center for Health Information and Services, 
in collaboration with the Coordinating Center for Infectious Diseases, 
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, intends to provide a new 
SARS-associated Coronavirus testing Model Performance Evaluation 
Program (SARS MPEP). This program will offer external performance 
evaluation (PE) for SARS antibody (Ab) testing and SARS Ribonucleic 
Acid (RNA) Reverse Transcriptase--Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) 
testing. A SARS outbreak or epidemic could recur at any time. 
Therefore, it is imperative that the CDC ensure all state public health 
department laboratories, Laboratory Response Network laboratories and 
other laboratories designated by CDC remain proficient in performing 
SARS testing. For this reason, it is of critical public health 
importance at this time, that the CDC develop and maintain a 
performance evaluation program for SARS. Participation in PE programs 
is expected to lead to improved SARS testing performance because 
participants have the opportunity to identify areas for improvement 
which will help to ensure accurate testing as a basis for development 
of SARS prevention and intervention strategies.
    This external quality assessment program will be made available at 
no cost (for receipt of sample panels) to 54 state laboratories. This 
program will offer laboratories/testing sites opportunities for:
    (1) assuring that the laboratories/testing sites are providing 
accurate tests through external quality assessment,
    (2) improving testing quality through self-evaluation in a 
nonregulatory environment,
    (3) testing well characterized samples from a source outside the 
test kit manufacturer,
    (4) discovering potential testing problems so that laboratories/
testing sites can adjust procedures to eliminate them,
    (5) comparing individual laboratory/testing site results to others 
at state level, and
    (6) consulting with CDC staff to discuss testing issues.
    Participants in the MPEP SARS will be required to submit results 
twice a year after testing mailed performance evaluation samples.
    There are no costs to the respondents other than their time. The 
total estimated annualized burden hours are 18.

                                        Estimated Annualized Burden Hours
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                                                                                                  Average burden
                          Form name                                 No. of        Frequency of    per  response
                                                                 respondents       responses        (in hours)
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SARS Testing Results Booklet.................................              54                2            10/60
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    Dated: August 11, 2005.
Joan F. Karr,
Acting Reports Clearance Officer, Centers for Disease Control and 
Prevention.
[FR Doc. 05-16368 Filed 8-17-05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4163-18-P