Proposed Data Collections Submitted for Public Comment and Recommendations

[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 103 (Friday, May 28, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 29034-29035]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-13601]


=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
[INFO-99-20]


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 the Centers for Disease Control and 
Prevention (CDC) is providing opportunity for public comment on 
proposed data collection 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 (404) 639-7090.
    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 for other 
forms of information technology. Send comments to Seleda Perryman, CDC 
Assistant Reports Clearance Officer, 1600 Clifton Road, MS-D24, 
Atlanta, GA 30333. Written comments should be received with 10 days of 
this notice.

Proposed Project

    1. Application for Training for the CDC Distance Learning Program, 
Laboratory Training, and Other Training--(0920-0017)--Reinstatement--
The Public Health Practice Program Office (PHPPO) is requesting an 
emergency clearance to resume data collection for the training forms 
associated with this clearance. We also plan on modifying/revising 
segments of the application forms. PHPPO in conjunction with the Public 
Health Training Network (PHTN) and the National Laboratory Training 
Network (NLTN) at CDC includes the Distance Learning Program which 
offers self-study, computer-based training, satellite broadcast, video 
courses, instructor-led field courses, and lab courses related to 
public health professionals worldwide. Employees of hospitals, 
universities, medical centers, laboratories, state and federal 
agencies, and state and local health departments apply for training in 
an effort to learn up-to-date public health procedures. The 
``Application for Training'' forms are the official applications used 
for all training activities conducted by the CDC.
    The Continuing Education (CE) Program, which includes CDCs 
accreditation to provide Continuing Medical Education (CME), Continuing 
Nurse Education (CNE) and Continuing Education Unit (CEU) for almost 
all training activities, requires a unique identifying number, 
preferably the respondent's Social Security Number (SSN), to positively 
identify and track individuals who have been awarded CE credit. It is 
often necessary to identify individuals currently enrolled in courses, 
or to retrieve historical information as to when a particular 
individual completed a course or several courses over a time period. 
This information provides the basis for producing a requested 
transcript or determining if a person is enrolled in more than one 
course. The use of the SSN is the only positive way of assigning a 
unique number to a unique individual for this purpose. However, the use 
of the SSN is voluntary; if a student chooses not to submit a SSN, CDC 
assigns a unique identifier. The reason the SSN, rather than an 
arbitrary assigned number is preferred, is because students are not 
likely to remember an arbitrary number. A student's participation in 
the curriculum of self-study courses sometimes spans a number of years. 
The SSN is necessary for eliminating duplicate enrollments; for 
properly crediting students with completed course work who have similar 
names or have changed addresses; for generating transcripts of previous 
completed course work on a cumulative basis. Due to the volume of 
enrollments, CDC Form 36.5 has been previously approved and used for 
years as an optical mark scan form. Use of this form, along with the 
use of the Social Security Number, greatly enhances CDC's capability to 
process a much greater volume of enrollments in less time with much 
greater accuracy. There is no cost to the respondents.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                     Number of    Average burden/
                   Respondents                       Number of      responses/     response  (in   Total burden
                                                    respondents     respondent         hrs.)         (in hrs.)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Application for Training--CDC 0.759A............           6,300               1          0.0833             525
Application for Laboratory Training--CDC 32.1...          10,000               1          0.0833             833
Application for Distance Learning Program--CDC            40,000               1           10/60           6,667
 36.5...........................................
                                                 ---------------------------------------------------------------
    Total.......................................  ..............  ..............  ..............           8,025
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


[[Page 29035]]

    Dated: May 21, 1999.
Nancy Cheal,
Acting Associate Director for Policy, Planning and Evaluation, Centers 
for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
[FR Doc. 99-13601 Filed 5-27-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4163-18-P