[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 57 (Friday, March 24, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 17850-17851]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-06165]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

[60Day-23-23CU; Docket No. CDC-2023-0012]


Proposed Data Collection Submitted for Public Comment and 
Recommendations

AGENCY: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Department of 
Health and Human Services (HHS).

ACTION: Notice with comment period.

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SUMMARY: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), as part 
of its continuing effort to reduce public burden and maximize the 
utility of government information, invites the general public and other 
federal agencies the opportunity to comment on a proposed information 
collection, as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995. This 
notice invites comment on a proposed information collection project 
titled, Advancing Violence Epidemiology in Real-Time (AVERT). This data 
collection will help improve state and local jurisdictions' ability to 
identify, respond to, and prevent violence.

DATES: CDC must receive written comments on or before May 23, 2023.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments, identified by Docket No. CDC-2023-
0012 by either of the following methods:
     Federal eRulemaking Portal: www.regulations.gov. Follow 
the instructions for submitting comments.
     Mail: Jeffrey M. Zirger, Information Collection Review 
Office, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1600 Clifton Road 
NE, MS H21-8, Atlanta, Georgia 30329.
    Instructions: All submissions received must include the agency name 
and Docket Number. CDC will post, without change, all relevant comments 
to www.regulations.gov.
    Please note: Submit all comments through the Federal eRulemaking 
portal (www.regulations.gov) or by U.S. mail to the address listed 
above.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: To request more information on the 
proposed project or to obtain a copy of the information collection plan 
and instruments, contact Jeffrey M. Zirger, Information Collection 
Review Office, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1600 Clifton 
Road NE, MS H21-8, Atlanta, Georgia 30329; Telephone: 404-639-7570; 
Email: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 
(PRA) (44 U.S.C. 3501-3520), federal agencies must obtain approval from 
the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for each collection of 
information they conduct or sponsor. In addition, the PRA also requires 
federal agencies to provide a 60-day notice in the Federal Register 
concerning each proposed collection of information, including each new 
proposed collection, each proposed extension of existing collection of 
information, and each reinstatement of previously approved information 
collection before submitting the collection to the OMB for approval. To 
comply with this requirement, we are publishing this notice of a 
proposed data collection as described below.
    The OMB is particularly interested in comments that will help:
    1. Evaluate whether the proposed collection of information is 
necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the agency, 
including whether the information will have practical utility;
    2. Evaluate the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden of 
the proposed collection of information, including the validity of the 
methodology and assumptions used;
    3. Enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to 
be collected;
    4. Minimize the burden of the collection of information on those 
who are to respond, including through the use of appropriate automated, 
electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection techniques or 
other forms of information technology,

[[Page 17851]]

e.g., permitting electronic submissions of responses; and
    5. Assess information collection costs.

Proposed Project

    Advancing Violence Epidemiology in Real-Time (AVERT)--NEW--National 
Center for Injury Prevention and Control (NCIPC), Centers for Disease 
Control and Prevention (CDC).

Background and Brief Description

    Firearm deaths and injuries are a serious public health problem in 
the United States. In 2021, more than 47,000 people died because of a 
firearm-related injury, according to provisional mortality data from 
the CDC's National Vital Statistics System. Many more people suffer 
nonfatal firearm-related injuries, and some areas and populations are 
disproportionately affected by firearm injuries. In an analysis of 
Emergency Department (ED) visits from 10 U.S. jurisdictions, the 
proportion of ED visits for firearm injuries were higher in communities 
that experienced more poverty, unemployment, lower incomes, and lower 
educational attainment. People hospitalized with nonfatal gunshot 
wounds often experience long-term consequences, including physical 
disabilities and chronic mental health problems from conditions such as 
post-traumatic-stress disorder. The economic impact of firearm injury 
and mortality is also substantial, costing the U.S. billions of dollars 
each year in medical and lost productivity costs alone, according to 
CDC's Web-based Injury Statistics Query and Reporting System (WISQARS) 
Cost of Injury module. An understanding of the full extent of the 
problem is crucial to informing prevention and response strategies and 
reducing future incidents.
    Timely state- and local-level data on ED visits for firearm 
injuries are currently limited. More context on ED visits for firearm 
injuries (regardless of intent), other violence-related injuries, and 
mental health conditions (which may increase risk for, or be a negative 
outcome associated with firearm injuries and other violence-related 
injuries) is also needed. The collection of near real-time data on ED 
visits for these outcomes of interest at the state- and local-level 
could improve state and local jurisdictions' ability to identify, 
respond to, and prevent violence. These data can also be used to 
identify, track, and address disparities in ED visits for firearm 
injuries, violence-related injuries, and mental health conditions.
    The AVERT data collection integrates, expands, and enhances 
previous data sharing efforts with public health departments initiated 
under the Firearm Injury Surveillance Through Emergency Rooms (FASTER) 
program, which provided funding for 10 jurisdictions to share firearm 
injury-related ED visit data with CDC. The goal of AVERT is to build on 
the FASTER program and provide funding to a minimum of 10 jurisdictions 
to share timely ED data for all firearm injuries (regardless of 
intent), other violence-related injuries, and mental health conditions. 
AVERT is made possible because the vast majority of the participating 
health departments are already rapidly collecting extensive data on ED 
visits in their jurisdiction and using these data for the 
identification of public health concerns, including flu, heat-related 
illness, and disaster-related health issues. AVERT will support states 
to conduct routine monitoring of these data to identify ED visits 
related to firearm injuries (regardless of intent), other violence-
related injuries, and mental health conditions, in addition to analyze 
these data in a timely manner and share these data with CDC. The AVERT 
program will ensure participating jurisdictions use their data to track 
all firearm injuries, other violence-related injuries, and mental 
health conditions by providing participating jurisdictions standardized 
definitions, which can facilitate rapid identification and tracking of 
ED data on violence.
    AVERT leverages existing ED data collection efforts deployed across 
state health departments through CDC's National ED Syndromic 
Surveillance program. The Division of Health Informatics and 
Surveillance (DHIS) in the Center for Surveillance, Epidemiology, and 
Laboratory Services (CSELS) in CDC operates the National Syndromic 
Surveillance Program (NSSP) BioSense Platform (OMB Control No. 0920-
0824) through which state and local health departments share 
preliminary data such as the chief complaint of the patient seeking 
care at the ED.
    CDC requests OMB approval for an estimated 30 annual burden hours. 
There are no costs to respondents other than their time to participate.

                                        Estimated Annualized Burden Hours
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                                                                   Total  number
                                                     Number of     of  responses  Average burden   Total annual
      Type of respondent            Form name       respondents         per        per response   burden (hours)
                                                                    respondent        (hours)
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Participating health            ED form (ED                   10               6           30/60              30
 departments sharing case-       violence data
 level ED data with CDC          form).
 through the NSSP BioSense
 (OMB Control No. 0920-0824).
                                                 ---------------------------------------------------------------
    Total.....................  ................  ..............  ..............  ..............              30
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Jeffrey M. Zirger,
Lead, Information Collection Review Office, Office of Scientific 
Integrity, Office of Science, Centers for Disease Control and 
Prevention.
[FR Doc. 2023-06165 Filed 3-23-23; 8:45 am]
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