[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 83 (Monday, May 1, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 25597-25598]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-6496]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration


Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; 
Comment Request

    In compliance with Section 3506(c)(2)(A) of the Paperwork Reduction 
Act of 1995 concerning opportunity for public comment on proposed 
collections of information, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health 
Services Administration (SAMHSA) will publish periodic summaries of 
proposed projects. To request more information on the proposed projects 
or to obtain a copy of the information collection plans, call the 
SAMHSA Reports Clearance Officer on (240) 276-1243.
    Comments are invited on: (a) Whether the proposed collections of 
information are 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.

Proposed Project: Opioid Treatment Data Systems for Disaster Planning 
Project (Pilot)--New

    The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration's 
(SAMHSA), Center for Substance Abuse Treatment (CSAT), has identified a 
critical need for Opioid Treatment Programs (OTPs, also commonly known 
as Methadone Clinics) to be able to access limited but specific patient 
dosage data for patients displaced due to service disruptions affecting 
the OTP from which they regularly receive treatment (the patient's 
'Home OTP'). Service disruptions in home OTPs have ranged in cause from 
events such as the September 11th terrorist attacks or more recently, 
Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, to more common events such as snow storms 
or electrical black-outs.
    The proposed system will ensure that, in such circumstances, 
patients displaced from their home OTPs will still be able to obtain 
safe and effective treatment at an alternative OTP (referred to in this 
project as a 'Guest OTP'). In reviewing past events involving OTP 
service disruptions and their impact on patients, SAMHSA, in tandem 
with numerous stakeholders, established four basic principles that 
would guide creation of a deliberately simple, centralized Web-based 
system to house patient data. Such a system would facilitate guest OTPs 
in providing safe and effective continuity of treatment for patients 
temporarily unable to obtain treatment from their Home OTPs due to any 
form of service disruption. The proposed centralized data system is 
known as the Opioid Treatment Data Systems for Disaster. Subsequently, 
in a small sample study of five (5) OTPs, SAMHSA tested a protocol and 
data collection instrument for use in determining functional 
requirements for the proposed system. In Fall 2005, SAMHSA provided 
funding for the current project, to support creation of the necessary 
infrastructure for a pilot system, to be followed by testing on a 
regional basis. This pilot project will focus on creating the means by 
which vital dosage data for OTP patients can be made accessible to 
guest OTPs called

[[Page 25598]]

upon to treat patients of other programs in the event of service 
disruptions, most specifically, in disaster scenarios, so that patients 
are not forced during such circumstances to forgo or discontinue 
treatment. Ultimately, the pilot system will be reviewed to determine 
its effectiveness and ability to support a national implementation, 
should funding for such a system become available.
    This notice is being provided for a survey to be distributed to 
OTPs in the region(s) selected by SAMHSA to gather information 
regarding their present data collection and reporting capabilities and 
practices. Technical information from the surveys will be used 
exclusively for development of the overall system and to help inform 
selection of sites best suited for participation as pilot sites for 
testing of the Opioid Treatment Data Systems for Disaster Planning. OTP 
respondents will have the option of completing an on-line or paper 
version of the survey. The survey consists of approximately 25 
questions predominantly formatted as yes/no responses with one to two 
words fill in the blank responses. The estimated maximum annual 
response burden to collect this information is as follows:

------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Number of        Responses per     Burden/response    Annual burden
facilities (OTPs)       facility           (hours)           (hours)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
           200                  1               1.0               200
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    Send comments to Summer King, SAMHSA Reports Clearance Officer, 
Room 7-1044, One Choke Cherry Road, Rockville, MD 20857. Written 
comments should be received within 60 days of this notice.

    Dated: April 25, 2006.
Anna Marsh,
Director, Office of Program Services.
 [FR Doc. E6-6496 Filed 4-28-06; 8:45 am]
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