[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 185 (Monday, September 26, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Pages 56169-56170]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-19150]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

[30Day-05-0026]


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

    Report of Verified Case of Tuberculosis (RVCT) (OMB Control No. 
0920-0026)--Extension--Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 
(CDC), National Center for HIV, STD, and TB Prevention (NCHSTP).
    Background and Brief Description: CDC is requesting OMB approval 
for another 3-year extension of the Report of Verified Case of 
Tuberculosis (RVCT) data collection.
    CDC maintains the national TB surveillance system to support CDC's 
goal of eliminating tuberculosis (TB) in the United States. Previous 
modifications to the data collection have improved the ability of CDC 
to monitor important aspects of TB epidemiology in the United States, 
including drug resistance, TB risk factors, including HIV coinfection, 
and treatment. The system also enables CDC to monitor the recovery of 
the nation from the resurgence and identify that current TB 
epidemiology supports the renewed national goal of elimination. To 
measure progress in achieving this goal, as well as continue to monitor 
TB trends and potential TB outbreaks, identify high risk populations 
for TB, and gauge program performance, CDC is requesting approval to 
extend the use of the RVCT.
    Data are collected by 60 Reporting Areas (50 states, the District 
of Columbia, New York City, Puerto Rico, and 7 jurisdictions in the 
Pacific and Caribbean) using the RVCT. There are no changes to the 
forms previously approved in 2002. An RVCT is completed for each 
reported TB case and contains demographic, clinical, and laboratory 
information.
    A comprehensive software package, the Tuberculosis Information 
Management System (TIMS) is currently used for RVCT data entry and 
electronic transmission of reports to CDC. TIMS provides reports, query 
functions, and export functions to assist in analysis of the data. 
However, electronic transmission of TB case reports to CDC is in a 
transition phase with the development of the web-based National

[[Page 56170]]

Electronic Disease Surveillance System (NEDSS) and Public Health 
Information Network (PHIN). Following the transition, many respondents 
will implement a PHIN compatible information system to collect and 
report TB surveillance data via the PHIN Messaging System. The 
remaining respondents will employ the NEDSS base system. These 
respondents will be able to use either the associated TB Program Area 
Module or their own TB surveillance application to collect and report 
RVCT data to CDC.
    CDC publishes an annual report summarizing national TB statistics 
and also periodically conducts special analyses for publication in 
peer-reviewed scientific journals to further describe and interpret 
national TB data. These data assist public health officials and policy 
makers in program planning, evaluation, and resource allocation. 
Reporting Areas also review and analyze their RVCT data to monitor 
local TB trends, evaluate program success, and assist in focusing 
resources to eliminate TB.
    No other Federal agency collects this type of national TB data. In 
addition to providing technical assistance on the use of RVCT, CDC also 
provides Reporting Areas with technical support for the TIMS software. 
In this request, CDC is requesting approval for 7,560 burden hours, a 
decrease of 780 hours. There are no costs to respondents except for 
their time. This decrease is due to a decrease in the total number of 
tuberculosis cases.

                                       Estimate of Annualized Burden Table
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                                                      Average
                                                                     Number of       Number of      burden per
                           Respondents                              respondents    responses per   response  (in
                                                                                    respondent        hours)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Local, state, territorial health departments....................              60             252           30/60
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


    Dated: September 19, 2005.
Joan Karr,
Acting Reports Clearance Officer, Centers for Disease Control and 
Prevention.
[FR Doc. 05-19150 Filed 9-23-05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4163-18-P