[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 145 (Tuesday, July 29, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 40535-40536]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-19893]
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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
[30DAY-17-97]
Agency Forms Undergoing Paperwork Reduction Act Review
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) publishes a
list of information collection requests under review by the Office of
Management and Budget (OMB) in compliance with the Paperwork Reduction
Act (44 U.S.C. Chapter 35). To request a copy of these requests, call
the CDC Reports Clearance Office on (404) 639-7090. Send written
comments to CDC, Desk Officer; Human Resources and Housing Branch, New
Executive Office Building, Room 10235, Washington, DC 20503. Written
comments should be received within 30 days of this notice.
Proposed Project
1. National Surveillance System for Hospital Health Care workers
(NASH)--New--CDC has developed a surveillance system that focuses on
surveillance of exposures and infections among hospital-based health
care workers (HCWs). This system, modeled after the National Nosocomial
Infections Surveillance (NNIS) system for patient infections, includes
standardized methodology for various occupational health issues (OMB
0920-0012). The Hospital Infections Program, National Center for
Infectious Diseases (NCID) has developed this system in collaboration
with the Hepatitis Branch, Division of Viral and Rickettsial Diseases,
NCID; the Division of Tuberculosis (TB) Elimination, National Center
for HIV, STD, and TB Prevention; the National Immunization Program
(NIP), and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
(NIOSH).
The NASH system consists of modules for collection of data about
various occupational issues. Baseline information about each HCW such
as demographics, immune-status for vaccine-preventable diseases, and TB
status is collected when the HCW is enrolled in the system. Results of
routine tuberculin skin test (TST) are collected and entered in the
system every time a TST is placed and read. In the event that an HCW is
exposed to blood/bloodborne pathogen, to a vaccine-preventable disease,
or to a TB infectious patient/HCW, epidemiologic data will be collected
about the exposure. For HCWs exposed to a bloodborne pathogen (i.e.,
HIV, HCV, or HBC), follow-up data will be collected during the follow-
up visits. Once a year, the hospitals will perform a survey to assess
the level of under reporting of needlesticks (HCW Survey) and will
complete a hospital survey to provide denominator data. Data will be
sent entered into the software and diskettes will be sent to CDC. No
identifiers of the HCW will be sent to CDC. This system is protected by
the Assurance of Confidentiality (308d).
Data collected in this surveillance system will assist hospitals,
HCWs, HCW organizations, and public health agencies. This system will
allow CDC to monitor national trends, to identify newly emerging
hazards for HCWs, to assess the risk of occupational infection, and to
evaluate preventive measures, including engineering controls, work
practices, protective equipment, and postexposure prophylaxis to
prevent occupationally acquired infections. Hospitals who volunteer to
participate in this system will benefit by receiving technical support
and standardized methodologies, including software, for conducting
surveillance activities on occupational health.
This system has been developed and piloted in large teaching
hospitals. Prior to implementation in a nationwide network of
hospitals, an expansion of this pilot project to include more medium/
small size hospitals is essential for further refinement of protocols
and software. The first pilot project ran from October 1994 to
September 1996 (RFP-200-94-0834(P)) and included four hospitals; the
second pilot started in October 1996 (RFP-200-96-0524(P)) and includes
five hospitals. Fifteen hospitals are expected to participate in this
proposed project, including the five currently participating. Once the
expanded pilot project is completed, the system will be made available
to all short-term care hospitals in the United States who wish to
voluntarily participate in this project. The total annual burden hours
are 14,554.
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Average
Number of Number of burden/
Respondents respondents responses/ response (in
respondents hours)
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Baseline Information Form............................................... 15 1,500 0.3333
TST--Result Form........................................................ 15 1,500 0.1666
TST--Evaluation Form.................................................... 15 13 0.1666
Exposure to Blood Form.................................................. 15 100 0.4166
Exposure to Blood Follow-up Form........................................ 15 50 0.25
Exposure to vaccine-prv. dis--Summary Form.............................. 15 8 0.3333
Exposure to vaccine-prv. dis--HCW Form.................................. 15 16 0.3333
Exposure to TB Form..................................................... 15 3 0.50
Exposure to Non-Infectious Injury Form.................................. 15 133 0.3333
Exposures to Blood During Surgery Form.................................. 15 80 0.1666
Exposures to Blood During OB Deliveries Form............................ 15 80 0.1666
HCW Survey.............................................................. 15 500 0.1666
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* The same 15 hospitals will be completing the 12 separate forms listed above. The number of respondents
includes x number of employees times each of 15 hospitals.
[[Page 40536]]
Wilma G. Johnson,
Acting Associate Director for Policy Planning And Evaluation, Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
[FR Doc. 97-19893 Filed 7-28-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4163-18-P
