[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 249 (Friday, December 28, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 76492-76493]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-31183]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

[30Day-13-12NT]


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 
(404) 639-7570 or send an email to [email protected]. Send written comments 
to CDC Desk Officer, Office of Management and Budget, Washington, DC or 
by fax to (202) 395-5806. Written comments should be received within 30 
days of this notice.

Proposed Project

    Early Hearing Detection and Intervention- Pediatric Audiology Links 
to Service (EHDI-PALS) Facility Survey--New--National Center on Birth 
Defects and Developmental Disabilities (NCBDDD), Centers for Disease 
Control and Prevention (CDC).

Background and Brief Description

    The Division of Human Development and Disability, located within 
NCBDDD, promotes the health of babies, children, and adults, with a 
focus on preventing birth defects and developmental disabilities and 
optimizing the health outcomes of those with disabilities. Since the 
passage of the Early Hearing Detection and Intervention (EHDI) Act, 97% 
of newborn infants are now screened for hearing loss prior to hospital 
discharge. However, many of these infants have not received needed 
hearing test and follow up services after their hospital discharges. 
The 2009 national average loss to follow-up/loss to documentation rate 
is at 45%. This rate remains an area of critical concern for state EHDI 
programs and CDC-EHDI team's goal of timely diagnosis by 3 months of 
age and intervention by 6 months of age. Many states cite the lack of 
audiology resource as the main factor behind the high loss to follow 
up. To compound the problem, many pediatric audiologists may be 
proficient evaluating children age 5 and older but are not proficient 
with diagnosing infants or younger children because children age 5 and 
younger requires a different skill set. To date no existing literature 
or database is available to help states verify and quantify their 
states' true follow up capacity.

[[Page 76493]]

    EHDI-PALS is a project conceptualized by the CDC-EHDI team with 
input from an advisory group of external partners. EHDI-PALs workgroup 
has broad representation from American Speech-Language-Hearing 
Association (ASHA), American Academy of Audiology (AAA), Joint 
Committee on Infant Hearing (JCIH), National Centre for Hearing 
Assessment and Management (NCHAM), Directors of Speech and Hearing 
Programs in State Health & Welfare Agencies (DSHPSHWA), Healthcare 
Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), University of Maine 
Center for Research and Evaluation, and Hands & Voices (H&V). Meeting 
since April 2010, the EHDI-PALS workgroup has sought consensus on the 
loss to follow up/loss to documentation issue facing the EHDI programs. 
A survey, based on standard of care practice, was developed for state 
EHDI programs to quantify the pediatric audiology resource distribution 
within their state, particularly audiology facilities that are equipped 
to provide follow up services for children age 5 and younger. The 
survey will also capture how often providers report diagnostic hearing 
test results to their state EHDI jurisdiction.
    CDC is requesting OMB approval to collect audiology facility 
information from audiologists or facility managers over a one-year 
period. The survey will allow CDC-EHDI team and state EHDI programs to 
compile a systematic, quantifiable distribution of audiology facilities 
and the capacity of each facility to provide services for children age 
5 and younger. The data collected will also allow the CDC-EHDI team to 
analyze facility distribution data to improve technical assistance to 
State EHDI programs.
    Respondents will all be audiologists who manage a facility or 
provide audiologic care for children age 5 and younger. Based on 
calculation from ASHA's biannual membership survey (available in 
ASHA.org) we estimate approximately 1500 audiologists will respond to 
the survey. To minimize burden and improve convenience, the survey will 
be available via a secure password protected Web site. Placing the 
survey on the Internet ensures convenient, on-demand access by the 
audiologists. Financial cost is minimized because no mailing fee will 
be associated with sending or responding to this survey.
    It is estimated that potentially 2000 audiologists will read 
through the purpose statement of this survey located on page one to 
decide whether or not to complete the survey. It is estimated that 
potentially 1500 audiologists will complete the survey, which will 
average 9 minutes per respondent. The estimated annual burden is 258 
hours. There are no costs to respondents other than their time.

                                        Estimated Annualized Burden Hours
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                                                                                     Number of    Average Burden
                   Respondents                       Form Name       Number of     Responses per   per Response
                                                                    Respondents     Respondent     (in minutes)
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Audiologists....................................          survey            2000               1            1/60
                                                    introduction
Audiologists....................................          survey            1500               1            9/60
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    Dated: December 20, 2011.
Ron A. Otten,
Director, Office of Scientific Integrity (OSI), Office of the Associate 
Director for Science (OADS), Office of the Director, Centers for 
Disease Control and Prevention.
[FR Doc. 2012-31183 Filed 12-27-12; 8:45 am]
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