01-21996. 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 Officer at [phone]. 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

Report of Verified Cases of Tuberculosis (RVCT) OMB No. 0920-0026—Extension—The National Center for HIV, STD, and TB Prevention (NCHSTP), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) proposes to continue data collection for the Report of Verified Case of Tuberculosis (RVCT). This request is for a 1-year extension of clearance. To accomplish the CDC goal of eliminating tuberculosis (TB) in the United States, CDC maintains the national TB surveillance system. The system, initiated in 1953, has been modified several times to better monitor and respond to changes in TB morbidity. The most recent modification was implemented in 1993 when the RVCT was expanded in response to the TB epidemic of the late 1980s and early 1990s and incorporated into a CDC software for electronic reporting of TB case reports to CDC. The expanded system improved the ability of CDC to monitor important aspects of TB epidemiology in the United States, including drug resistance, TB risk factors, including HIV coinfection, and treatment. The timely system also enabled CDC to monitor the recovery of the nation from the resurgence and identify that current TB epidemiology supports the renewed national goal of elimination. To measure progress in achieving this goal, as well as continue to monitor TB trends and potential TB outbreaks, identify high risk populations for TB, and gauge program performance, CDC proposes to extend use of the RVCT.

Data are collected by 60 Reporting Areas (the 50 states, the District of Columbia, New York City, Puerto Rico, and 7 jurisdictions in the Pacific and Caribbean) using the RVCT. An RVCT is completed for each reported TB case and contains demographic, clinical, and laboratory information. A comprehensive software package, the Tuberculosis Information Management System (TIMS) is used for RVCT data entry and electronic transmission of TB case reports to CDC. TIMS provides reports, query functions, and export functions to assist in analysis of the data. CDC publishes an annual report summarizing national TB statistics and also periodically conducts special analyses for publication in peer-reviewed scientific journals to further describe and interpret national TB data. These data assist public health officials and policy makers in program planning, evaluation, and resource allocation. Reporting Areas also review and analyze their RVCT data to monitor local TB trends, evaluate program success, and assist in focusing resources to eliminate TB.

No other federal agency collects this type of national TB data. In addition to providing technical assistance for use of the RVCT, CDC also provides Reporting Areas with technical support for the TIMS software. The total annual burden for this data collection is 8,338 hours.

Respondents	Number of respondents	Average responses/respondent	Average burden per response (in hours)
State & Local Health Departments	60	277.92	30/60

Dated: August 24, 2001.

Nancy Cheal,

Acting Associate Director for Policy, Planning, and Evaluation Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.