Privacy Narrative [updated CIO review 2021]

Date
06/17/2021

Information Collection Request - Privacy Narrative

Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) Program Reporting System
Title: ______________________________________________________________________________________
Dmitry Kissin
Point of Contact: _____________________________________________________________________________

Description
National ART Surveillance System (NASS) is Congressionally mandated Public Health Surveillance
System designed to collect data on all assisted reproductive technology (ART) treatments from all
U.S. fertility clinics and report standardized ART success rates for each clinic annually
(www.cdc.gov/art/nass). The data reported by clinics to CDC include patient demographics,
obstetrical and medical history, parental infertility diagnosis, detailed parameters of the ART
procedure, and information regarding resultant pregnancies and births. PII that may be collected for
women or infants includes cycle identification number, patient identification number, patient date of
birth, infant date of birth, and patient place of residence. Clinic key personnel are identified. A full list
of NASS data elements are available in the National Summary and Clinic Dataset located at
https://www.cdc.gov/art/artdata/index.html
NASS data are collected from fertility clinics with the help of a contracting company (Westat, Inc.) and
are maintained at the Division of Reproductive Health (DRH). Administrator controls in place include
regular backups, security training, completion of a security certification and accreditation (C&A),
security plans, and policies. Access to NASS and the ART information collected is limited to contractor
staff supporting the ART project and CDC staff conducting data analyses. The contractor and CDC
staff follow federal security requirements and adhere to all CDC security policies and regulations.
Requirements for adherence to privacy provisions and policies, as well as instructions for destruction
of ART data and files when the contract ends, are specified in the contract language. CDC plans to
maintain the data, including identifiers, indefinitely. NASS data are protected by an Assurance of
Confidentiality under Section 308(d) of the Public Health Act and are only accessible to signatories of
the Assurance of Confidentiality. No consent is obtained from patients whose medical information is
recorded in the ART surveillance data files. A waiver of informed consent for the collection of data
under the Fertility Clinic Success Rate and Certification Act of 1992 has been approved, based on the
criteria described in Code of Federal Regulations, Title 45, Section 46.116.

Does this ICR request any PII?

✔ Yes

see above
If yes, describe: _____________________________________

No

Does this ICR include a form that requires a Privacy Act Statement?
Does this ICR require a PIA?

✔

Yes

No

✔

Yes

No

If yes, does a signed PIA already exist?

✔

C/I/O Approval
Associate Director for Science

Rachel
Kaufmann -S
Comments:

Digitally signed by Rachel
Kaufmann -S
Date: 2021.06.29
12:39:36 -04'00'

Information Systems Security Officer

Cynthia
Allen -S

Digitally signed by
Cynthia Allen -S
Date: 2021.07.08
14:30:36 -04'00'

Yes

No