[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 113 (Tuesday, June 12, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 34952-34953]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-14209]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

[60-Day 12-12MW]


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 404-639-7570 or 
send comments to Kimberly S. Lane, at 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

    Hepatitis Testing and Linkage to Care Monitoring & Evaluation 
System--New--National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD and TB 
Prevention (NCHHSTP), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Background and Brief Description

    The National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB 
Prevention (NCHHSTP), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is 
requesting a three-year OMB approval for establishing a Hepatitis 
Testing and Linkage to Care (HEPTLC) Monitoring and Evaluation System 
to collect standardized, non-identifying, client-level and test-level 
hepatitis testing information from funded testing sites at multiple 
settings. Grantees will be required to use this web-based HEPTLC 
software application to collect and report testing and linkage to care 
activities.
    The HEPTLC data collection and reporting system will enable CDC to 
receive standardized, non-identifying information from funded grantees, 
including: (1) Information about test sites that provide HEPTLC 
services and laboratories that provide lab testing; (2) Information 
about testing participants, including demographics, risk 
characteristics, vaccination history, etc. (3) Information related to 
diagnostic test results; and (4) Information about post-test follow-
ups, including notification of test result, post-test-counseling, 
linkage to care and preventive services, and case report to 
surveillance authorities. CDC will use HEPTLC data for the following 
purposes: (1) Monitor the implementation activities of the HEPTLC 
initiative, as well as evaluate the progress and performance made by 
the grantees. Findings will further inform strategic planning and 
program improvement; (2) Inform recommendations and strategies of 
increasing early identification of infected persons and linkage to 
care, based on participant characteristics and linkage to care among 
those persons who are infected; (3) Identify best practices and gaps in 
implementing HEPTLC in various testing settings, and guide CDC in 
providing technical assistance to the grantees; (4) Produce 
standardized and specialized reports that will inform grantees, CDC 
Project Officers, HHS, and other stakeholders of the process, outcome 
and accountability measures; (5)Assess public health prevention funds 
and resources allocations with respect to prioritized

[[Page 34953]]

risk populations; (6) Advocate the needs for priority setting and 
budget allocation for hepatitis prevention.
    Funded sites will use HEPTLC data for the following purposes: (1) 
Understand targeted populations (demographics, risk behaviors, 
vaccination histories, etc.) and assess the extent to which the 
targeted populations have been reached; (2) Document how well the 
project is progressing in meeting goals/objectives set forth by CDC 
(e.g. who delivered what to whom, how many, where, when, and how well), 
as well as performance indicators related to testing, counseling and 
linkage to care; (3) Highlight opportunities for local program 
collaboration and service integration (PCSI) to prevent hepatitis: 
(4)Fulfill data collection and reporting requirements outlined in the 
cooperative agreements.
    The total estimated annualized hourly burden anticipated for all 
data collections and training would be approximately 6,080 hours. 
Respondents will be testing sites at multiple settings, including 
health departments, community based organizations (CBOs), community 
health centers (CHCs), person who inject drugs (PWID) treatment 
centers, and other settings, e.g. human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) or 
sexually transmitted disease (STD) clinics, Federally Qualified Health 
Centers (FQHCs). They will routinely collect, enter, and report 
information about the test site, client demographics and behaviors, 
testing results and linkage to care follow up information within the 
web-based HEPTLC system.
    CDC anticipates that routine information collection will begin 
immediately after OMB approval. CDC intends for grantees to bear 
minimum burdens with minimal standardized data variables, while 
fulfilling mandatory reporting requirements. There are no costs to 
respondents other than their time.

                                        Estimated Annualized Burden Hours
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                     Number of    Average burden
      Type of respondents           Form name        Number of     responses per   per response    Total burden
                                                    respondents     respondent      (in hours)      (in hours)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
HBV--CBOs/Health Jurisdictions  HEPTLC Data                   40              12              12           5,760
HCV--multiple sites (IDU,        Variables &
 CHCs, Others, ECHO).            Values (test-
                                 level monthly
                                 reporting).
HBV--CBOs/Health Jurisdictions  HEPTLC Template               40               4             1.5             240
HCV--multiple sites (IDU,        (program-level
 CHCs, Others, ECHO).            reporting/
                                 quarterly).
Training......................  HEPTLC System...              40               1               2              80
                               ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Total.....................  ................  ..............  ..............  ..............           6,080
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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. 2012-14209 Filed 6-11-12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4163-18-P