E9-8337. 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 404-639-5960 and send comments to Maryam Daneshvar, CDC Acting Reports Clearance Officer, 1600 Clifton Road, MS-D74, Atlanta, GA 30333 or send an e-mail to [e-mail].

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

Assessing Problem Areas in Referrals for Chronic Hematologic Malignancies and Developing Interventions to Address Them—New—Division of Cancer Prevention and Control, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (NCCDPHP), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Background and Brief Description

One of the six aims of the Institute of Medicine's Crossing the Quality Chasm report is to improve the timeliness of care for patients. Data from Europe and Canada, as well as single-site studies in the United States, allude to a problem of timely referral and diagnosis for patients with cancer. Despite the advent of new diagnostics and therapeutics for patients with chronic hematological malignancies, the size and scope of a potential problem regarding their referral from primary care providers to specialists is not well-defined in the current literature.

CDC proposes to conduct a one-time study to collect qualitative and quantitative information on optimal and sub-optimal referral patterns for patients with confirmed or suspected chronic hematologic malignancies. Information will be collected to identify specific factors related to delays in diagnosis and/or referral to appropriate medical specialists. Information will be collected through in-depth interviews with hematologic cancer patients, in-depth interviews and focus groups with primary care providers, interviews with specialists in hematology and oncology in Texas, and a one-time postal survey to a sample of primary care providers in Massachusetts.

The ultimate goal is to develop tools that will improve the awareness, diagnosis, and referral of persons with chronic hematological cancers by primary care providers.

There are no costs to respondents other than their time.

Estimated Annualized Burden Hours

Type of respondents	Form name	Number of respondents	Number of responses per respondent	Avg. burden per response (in hrs)	Total burden (in hours)
Community Hematologists and Oncologists	Hematologists and Oncologists Interview Phone Recruitment Script	100	1	2/60	3
	Hematologists and Oncologists Interview Guide	18	1	1.5	27
Patients	Patient Interview Phone Recruitment Script	50	1	2/60	2
	Patient Interview Guide	18	1	1.5	27
Primary Care Providers (PCP)	PCP Survey Cover Letter	250	1	2/60	8
	PCP Survey	150	1	20/60	50
	PCP Opt-Out Card	100	1	2/60	3
	PCP Survey Reminder Letter	200	1	2/60	7
	PCP Interview Phone Recruitment Script	100	1	3/60	5
	PCP Interview Guide	18	1	1.5	27
	PCP Focus Group Phone Recruitment Script	50	1	3/60	3
	PCP Focus Group Guide	18	1	2	36
Total					198

Dated: April 6, 2009.

Maryam I. Daneshvar,

Acting Reports Clearance Officer, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.