[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 83 (Monday, April 30, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 25482-25483]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-10325]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

[60Day-12-0842]


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

[[Page 25483]]

the data collection plans and instruments, call 404-639-7570 and send 
comments to Kimberly S. Lane, at CDC, 1600 Clifton Road, MS-D74, 
Atlanta, GA 30333 or send an email 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

    STD surveillance Network (SSuN)--Division of STD Prevention 
(DSTDP); (OMB No. 0920-0842 Exp: 1/31/2013)--Revision--National Center 
for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention (NCHHSTP), 
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Background and Brief Description

    The STD Surveillance Network (SSuN) project is an active STD 
sentinel surveillance network comprised of 12 surveillance sites 
including Alabama State Health Department, Baltimore City Health 
Department, Chicago City Health Department, Colorado State Health 
Department, Connecticut State Health Department, Los Angeles City 
Health Department, Louisiana State Health Department, New York City 
Health Department, Philadelphia city Health Department, San Francisco 
City Health Department, Virginia State Health Department, Washington 
State Health Department. The objectives of the SSuN Project are (1) to 
establish an integrated network of sentinel STD clinics and health 
departments to inform and guide national programs and policies for STD 
control in the U.S.; (2) to improve the capacity of national, state and 
local STD programs to detect, monitor and respond to established and 
emerging trends in STDs, HIV, and viral hepatitis; and (3) to identify 
and evaluate the effectiveness of public health interventions to reduce 
STD morbidity. This project collects data using two surveillance 
strategies; enhanced surveillance in participating STD clinics and 
enhanced gonorrhea surveillance on a random sample of persons diagnosed 
with gonorrhea in participating jurisdictions of these 12 local and 
state health departments.
    For the clinic-based surveillance, participating sites have 
developed common protocols stipulating which data elements would be 
collected, including demographic, clinical, risk and sexual behaviors. 
The specified data elements are abstracted on a quarterly basis from 
existing electronic medical records for all patient visits to 
participating clinics and transmitted to CDC through a secured channel. 
Each SSuN site will spend 2 hours to transmit the data to CDC each 
quarter. At CDC, data will be aggregated with data from all 
participating sites in a common language and formatted for analysis.
    For the population-based surveillance, a random sample of 
individuals reported with gonorrhea residing within participating 
jurisdictions are interviewed using locally designed interview 
templates. Enhanced data collection includes detailed information on 
demographic characteristics, behavioral risk factors and clinical 
history of persons with gonorrhea. Each of the 12 sites will interview 
60 persons each quarter and each interview is expected to take about 8 
minutes per person. Data for the population-based component will 
continue to be collected through telephone-administered or in-person 
interviews conducted by trained interviewers in the 12 SSuN sites. The 
survey results will be entered into the existing information systems at 
each health department and sent to CDC through a secure data network on 
a quarterly basis.
    This information is being collected to establish (1) an integrated 
network of sentinel STD clinics and (2) state and local health 
departments to inform and guide national programs and policies for STD 
control in the US.
    The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention request approval for 
a revision and a 3 year approval for the previously approved STD 
Surveillance Network (SSuN) project 0920-0842 (exp. 1/31/2013). The 
interview template has been revised to include four additional 
questions related to insurance status, but these changes will have 
minimal effect on the burden per respondent. Information on insurance 
and health care access are expected to have implications for program at 
the state/local and national level and can be used by state and local 
programs. Otherwise, the project activities and methods will remain the 
same as those used in the previously approved data collection period.
    Participation of respondents is voluntary. There is no cost to the 
respondents other than their time.
    There is no cost to the respondents other than their time.

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                                                                     Number of    Average burden
                   Respondent                        Number of     responses per   per response    Total burden
                                                    respondents     respondent      (in hours)      (in hours)
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STD Surveillance Clinics........................              12               4               2              96
Gonorrhea patients..............................            2880               1            8/60             384
                                                 ---------------------------------------------------------------
    Total.......................................  ..............  ..............  ..............             480
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Kimberly S. Lane,
Deputy Director, Office of Science Integrity, Office of the Associate 
Director for Science, Office of the Director, Centers for Disease 
Control and Prevention.
[FR Doc. 2012-10325 Filed 4-27-12; 8:45 am]
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