[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 221 (Thursday, November 17, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Pages 69765-69766]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-22762]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention


Notice of Public Input Opportunity

AGENCY: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Department of 
Health and Human Services (HHS).

SUMMARY: The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health 
(NIOSH) of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) 
announces the following:
    Availability of opportunity for the Public to Provide Input on two 
proposed documents:
    ``Recommendations for Applying the International Labour Office 
(ILO) International Classification of Radiographs of Pneumoconioses in 
Medical Diagnosis, Research and Population Surveillance, Worker Health 
Monitoring, Government Program Eligibility, and Compensation 
Settings,'' and
    ``Ethical Considerations for B Readers.''
    The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), 
acting on behalf of the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS), 
is responsible for prescribing the manner in which radiographs are read 
and classified for the chest x-ray program available to coal miners 
under the Federal Mine Safety and Health Act, 30 U.S.C. 843; 42 CFR 
part 37. In carrying out this responsibility, NIOSH issues B Reader 
certifications to physicians who demonstrate proficiency in the 
classification of chest radiographs for the pneumoconioses using the 
International Labour Office (ILO) Classification System. NIOSH uses 
these B Readers in its Coal Workers Health Surveillance Program. B 
Readers are also employed in a variety of other clinical, research and 
compensation settings. NIOSH is using the issuance of the new 
International Labour Office (ILO) Classification of Radiographs as an 
opportunity to expand its Web site on the B Reader Program and use of 
the ILO system. NIOSH-certified B Readers use the internationally-
recognized ILO system to classify chest radiographs for the presence 
and severity of pulmonary parenchymal and pleural changes potentially 
caused by exposure to dusts such as asbestos, silica, and coal mine 
dust. The revised program Web site provides more information about 
radiographic reading and the ILO system including recommendations or 
``best practices'' for use of the ILO system in different settings.
    We are specifically seeking public comment for the draft Document:
    ``Recommendations for Applying the International Labour Office 
(ILO) International Classification of Radiographs of Pneumoconioses in 
Medical Diagnosis, Research and Population Surveillance, Worker Health 
Monitoring, Government Program Eligibility, and Compensation 
Settings.''
    This document can be found at http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/
chestradiography/recommendations.html.
    At this same time, NIOSH is also seeking comment on its proposed 
[l x dquo]Ethical Considerations for B Readers'' which can 
be found at this same Web site. In a recent decision in the In Re 
Silica Products Litigation, 2005 WL 1593936 (S.D. Tex June 30, 2005), 
Federal District Court Judge Janis Jack raised questions regarding the 
ethical conduct of certain physicians, some of whom were B Readers, in 
reading x-rays in litigation. NIOSH is proposing ``Ethical 
Considerations for B Readers'' which includes a code of ethics modeled 
after those of the American College of Radiology and the American 
Medical Association. We welcome comments on this proposed code of 
ethics.
    Please review and submit your comments on either or both of these 
documents to CWHSP@cdc.gov. If you would prefer to have a hard copy 
rather than electronic, please contact NIOSH at this same e-mail 
address, and we will be happy to fax or mail copies of the documents to 
you.
    The documents will remain available for comment until January 17, 
2006. After that date, NIOSH will consider all the comments submitted 
and make appropriate revisions to the document

[[Page 69766]]

before posting a final version on its Web site.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: David N. Weissman, MD, CDC/NIOSH, 
Division of Respiratory Disease Studies, Mailstop H-2900, 1095 
Willowdale Road, Morgantown, WV 26505, 304-285-5749.
    Information requests can also be submitted by e-mail to 
CWHSP@cdc.gov.

    Dated: November 10, 2005.
John Howard,
Director, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, 
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
[FR Doc. 05-22762 Filed 11-16-05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4163-19-P