[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 207 (Thursday, October 27, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Pages 61986-61987]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-21454]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration


Agency Information Collection Activities: Submission for OMB 
Review; Comment Request

    Periodically, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services 
Administration (SAMHSA) will publish a summary of information 
collection requests under OMB review, in compliance with the Paperwork 
Reduction Act (44 U.S.C. Chapter 35). To request a copy of these 
documents, call the SAMHSA Reports Clearance Officer on (240) 276-1243.

Project: Drug Abuse Warning Network (OMB No. 0930-0078)--Revision

    The Drug Abuse Warning Network (DAWN) is an ongoing data system 
that collects information on drug-related medical emergencies as 
reported from about 350 hospitals nationwide, and drug-related deaths 
as reported from 6 states and 135 medical examiners/coroner 
jurisdictions (ME/C) in 35 metropolitan areas. DAWN provides national 
and metropolitan estimates of substances involved with drug-related 
emergency department (ED) visits; disseminates information about 
substances involved in deaths investigated by participating medical 
examiners and coroners (ME/Cs); tracks drug abuse patterns, trends, and 
the emergence of new substances; monitors post-market adverse drug 
incidents; assesses health hazards associated with the use of illicit, 
prescription, and over-the-counter drugs; and generates information for 
national and local drug abuse policy and program planning. DAWN data 
are used by Federal, State, and local agencies, as well as 
universities, pharmaceutical companies, and the media.
    From 2006 to 2008, DAWN will continue to recruit hospitals in the 
13 oversampled metropolitan areas in order to improve the precision of 
estimates, adding approximately 18 hospitals to the sample. In 2007 and 
2008, DAWN plans to recruit approximately 20 more ME/Cs from 
metropolitan areas that are currently profiled by DAWN, but have 
incomplete participation. DAWN data are submitted electronically, using 
eHERS (electronic Hospital Emergency Reporting System) and eMERS 
(electronic Medical Examiner Reporting System). DAWN proposes that all 
facilities (EDs and ME/Cs) will start using the revised electronic 
forms for all events occurring from 1/1/2006 forward. The annual burden 
estimates are shown below:

[[Page 61987]]



                                 Annualized Reporting Burden for DAWN: 2006-2008
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                                           Burden
                                                                                        hours where
                                                  Estimated    Estimated                    DAWN
                                     Number of    number of     time per      Gross      contractor     Total
             Activity               respondents   responses     response      burden        \1\        adjusted
                                                     per          (in         hours       conducts      burden
                                                  respondent    minutes)                    data
                                                                                         collection
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                              Emergency Departments
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chart review......................          350       24,400            2      284,667      193,573       91,094
eHERS cases.......................          350          756           10       44,100       29,998       14,112
ED activity report................          350           12            2          140           95           45
                                   --------------
    Subtotal......................  ...........  ...........  ...........  ...........  ...........      105,251
-----------------------------------
                                         Medical Examiners/Coroners \2\
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Death records review..............          104         1538          2.5        6,665          705        5,960
eMERS cases.......................          104          111            4          770           81          689
ME/C activity report..............          104           12            2           42            4           38
                                   --------------
    Subtotal......................  ...........  ...........  ...........  ...........  ...........        6,687
                                   --------------
        TOTAL.....................          454  ...........  ...........  ...........  ...........     111,938
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ Data collection for 238 EDs and 11 ME/Cs will be conducted by the DAWN contractor. Because there is no
  burden associated with these Field and Remote Reporters, their hours are deducted from the total burden.
\2\ Some medical examiner/coroner offices report for multiple jurisdictions. For this reason, the number of
  respondents is smaller than the number of ME/C jurisdictions participating in DAWN.

    Written comments and recommendations concerning the proposed 
information collection should be sent by November 28, 2005 to: SAMHSA 
Desk Officer, Human Resources and Housing Branch, Office of Management 
and Budget, New Executive Office Building, Room 10235, Washington, DC 
20503; due to potential delays in OMB's receipt and processing of mail 
sent through the U.S. Postal Service, respondents are encouraged to 
submit comments by fax to: 202-395-6974.

    Dated: October 24, 2005.
Anna Marsh,
Director, Office of Program Services.
[FR Doc. 05-21454 Filed 10-26-05; 8:45 am]
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