[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 26 (Tuesday, February 8, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 6796-6797]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-2673]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

[60Day-11-11BZ]


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 404-639-5960 
and send comments to Carol E. Walker, CDC Acting 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

    Quantitative Survey of Physician Practices in Laboratory Test 
Ordering and Interpretation-NEW-the Office of Surveillance, 
Epidemiology, and Laboratory Services (OSELS), the Centers for Disease 
Control and Prevention (CDC)

Background and Brief Description

    The purpose of this request is to obtain OMB clearance to perform 
the ``Quantitative Survey of Physician Practices in Laboratory Test 
Ordering and Interpretation'', a national systematic study 
investigating how the rapid evolution of laboratory medicine is 
affecting primary care practice. This will be a new collection. The 
survey will be funded in full by the Office of Surveillance, 
Epidemiology, and Laboratory Services (OSELS) of the Centers for 
Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
    This proposed survey follows a series of qualitative focus groups 
with primary care physicians that identified common concerns and 
problems with laboratory test ordering and test interpretation. This 
survey will quantify the prevalence and impact of the issues identified 
within the focus groups. Understanding the relative importance of 
physician issues in the effective and efficient use of laboratory 
medicine in diagnosis will guide future efforts of the CDC to improve 
primary care practice and improve health outcomes of the American 
public. The proposed survey covers basic physician demographic 
characteristics (year of birth, gender, years in practice, physician 
specialty, professional memberships, practice size and practice 
setting), practice-related questions including number and type of 
patients seen weekly. The majority of the questions request information 
about physician decision making processes involved in test ordering and 
interpretation.
    The effective use of laboratory testing is an important component 
of the diagnostic process within physician

[[Page 6797]]

practices. The field of laboratory medicine is undergoing rapid change 
with the continuing introduction of new tests, increased focus on 
evidence-based medicine, the deployment of Electronic Health Records, 
and the wide availability to physicians of electronic information 
resources, interactive diagnostic tools, and computerized order entry 
systems. To date, no systematic study has been conducted to investigate 
how physicians are incorporating these laboratory testing innovations 
into their day-to-day practices. This survey seeks to provide insight 
into how physicians integrate laboratory medicine into their routines, 
and how they manage any challenges they encounter.
    The survey will be conducted in 2011, following OMB approval, in a 
national representative sample of primary care physicians. The table 
below reports the combined total number of respondents for the 2011 
survey. There are no costs to respondents except their time.

                                        Estimated Annualized Burden Hours
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                                                                     Number of    Average burden
      Type of respondents           Form name        Number of     responses per   per response    Total burden
                                                    respondents     respondent       (in hrs)        (in hrs)
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Family Practice Physicians and  Laboratory                  1600               1           14/60             373
 Internal Medicine Generalists.  Practices.
                                                 ---------------------------------------------------------------
      Total...................  ................  ..............  ..............  ..............             373
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    Dated: February 1, 2011.
Carol E. Walker,
Acting Reports Clearance Officer, Centers for Disease Control and 
Prevention.
[FR Doc. 2011-2673 Filed 2-7-11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4163-18-P