[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 154 (Friday, August 9, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 65358-65359]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-17764]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

[60Day-24-24HD; Docket No. CDC-2024-0054]


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 Adverse Health Outcomes Associated with Medical Tourism 
Surveillance System. This information collection project will help CDC 
detect outbreaks and trends in cases to identify prevention measures 
and improve awareness of risks associated with medical tourism.

DATES: CDC must receive written comments on or before October 8, 2024.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments, identified by Docket No. CDC-2024-
0054 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, e.g., permitting electronic 
submissions of responses; and
    5. Assess information collection costs.

Proposed Project

    Adverse Health Outcomes Associated with Medical Tourism 
Surveillance System--New--National Center for Emerging Zoonotic and 
Infectious Diseases (NCEZID), Centers for Disease Control and 
Prevention (CDC).

Background and Brief Description

    Millions of Americans travel abroad each year to get medical care. 
This practice of medical tourism is increasing, with even some U.S.-
based health insurance companies sending patients abroad for medical 
care. Medical tourism has been associated with a variety of adverse 
health outcomes including serious infection, importation of antibiotic-
resistant pathogens to the United States, and death. Outbreaks among 
medical tourists can be difficult to identify for many reasons. 
Complications from treatment(s) and procedure(s) obtained abroad are 
underreported by U.S. healthcare facilities. Jurisdictions throughout 
the United States have varying policies on reporting medical tourism-
related adverse health events to CDC that can lead to underreporting 
from some jurisdictions. Infections acquired from health care abroad 
may not be locally or nationally reportable. Currently, there is no 
national surveillance system or mechanism for states to link cases 
between jurisdictions for medical tourism-related adverse health 
outcomes. This makes it difficult to identify patients with exposures 
linked to the same clinic or provider abroad since they will be 
returning to different parts of the United States.
    Collaboration with state and local health departments is essential 
to detect outbreaks, and as a federal entity, CDC can fulfill this 
role. The information collected through this surveillance system will 
help CDC detect outbreaks and trends in cases to identify prevention 
measures and improve awareness of risks associated with medical 
tourism. State and local health departments will conduct surveys and 
send them electronically to CDC. Data collected will be stored in an 
electronic database and will be extracted for further analysis.
    CDC requests OMB approval for an estimated 438 annual burden hours. 
There are no costs to respondents other than their time.

[[Page 65359]]



                                        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 hours)         hours
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State/Local Health department  Form 1 Medical                50               15            5/60              63
 staff.                         Tourism Case
                                Intake Form
                                (Part B-Medical
                                Chart
                                Abstraction).
Ill persons who have           Form 1 Medical               750                1           10/60             125
 experienced an adverse         Tourism Case
 health outcome related to      Intake Form
 medical tourism.               (Part A-
                                Interviews).
Ill persons who have           Form 2 Medical               500                1           30/60             250
 experienced an adverse         Tourism
 health outcome related to      Enhanced
 medical tourism.               Surveillance
                                Form.
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    Total....................  ................  ..............  ...............  ..............             438
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Jeffrey M. Zirger,
Lead, Information Collection Review Office, Office of Public Health 
Ethics and Regulations, Office of Science, Centers for Disease Control 
and Prevention.
[FR Doc. 2024-17764 Filed 8-8-24; 8:45 am]
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