04-1843. 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 the CDC Reports Clearance Officer on [phone].

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. Send comments to Seleda Perryman, CDC Assistant Reports Clearance Officer, 1600 Clifton Road, MS-E11, Atlanta, GA 30333. Written comments should be received within 60 days of this notice.

Proposed Project: National Electronic Disease Surveillance System (NEDSS)—New—Office of the Director (OD), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Background

CDC is responsible for the collection and dissemination of nationally notifiable diseases' information and for monitoring and reporting the impact of epidemic influenza on mortality, Public Health Services Act (42 U.S.C. 241). In April 1984, CDC Epidemiology Program Office (EPO) in cooperation with Cities, State and Territorial Epidemiologists (CSTE) and epidemiologists in six states began a pilot project, the Epidemiologic Surveillance Project (ESP), designed to demonstrate the efficiency and effectiveness of computer transmission of surveillance data between CDC and the state health departments. Each state health department used its existing computerized disease surveillance system to transmit specific data concerning each case of a notifiable disease, and CDC technicians developed computer software to automate the transfer of data from the state to CDC.

In June 1985, CSTE passed a resolution supporting ESP as a workable system for electronic transmission of notifiable disease case reports from the states/territories to CDC, and as the program was extended beyond the original group of states, EPO began to provide software, training and technical support to state health department staff overseeing the transition from hard-copy to automated transmission of surveillance data.

By 1989, all 50 states were using this computerized disease surveillance system, which was then renamed the National Electronic Telecommunications System for Surveillance (NETSS) to reflect its national scope. Core surveillance data are transmitted to CDC by the states and territories through NETSS. NETSS has a standard record format for data transmitted and does not require the use of a specific software program. The ability of NETSS to accept records generated by different software programs is what made it useful for the efficient integration of surveillance systems nationwide.

Since 1999, CDC, Epidemiology Program Office (EPO) has worked with CSTE, state and local public health system staff, and other CDC disease prevention and control program staff to identify information and information technology standards to support integrated disease surveillance. That effort is now focused on development of the National Electronic Disease Surveillance System (NEDSS), coordinated by CDC's Deputy Director for Integrated Health Information Systems.

NEDSS will electronically integrate and link together a wide variety of surveillance activities and will facilitate more accurate and timely reporting of disease information to CDC and state and local health departments. Consistent with recommendations supported by our state and local surveillance partners and described in the 1995 report, Integrating Public Health Information and Surveillance Systems, NEDSS will include data standards, an internet based communications infrastructure built on industry standards, and policy-level agreements on data access, sharing, burden reduction, and protection of confidentiality. To support NEDSS, CDC is supporting the development of an information system, the NEDSS Base System (NBS), which will use NEDSS technical and information standards, (http://www.cdc.gov/​od/​hissb/​doc/​NEDSSBaseSysDescription.pdf). We are requesting a three-year clearance of the NBS data that is not currently covered by an existing clearance. There are currently no costs to respondents because their costs will be covered by a grant from the CDC. However, there may be future costs associated with their participation in the NBS.

Respondents	Activity	No. of respondents	No. of responses/ respondent	Average burden/response (in hrs)	Total burden hours
State Health Departments	Typing and gathering of the data	16	10,000	2/60	5,333
	Transmission of the data	16	52	1	832
Total					6,165

Dated: January 22, 2004.

Alvin Hall,

Director, Management Analysis and Services Office, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.