August 6 -- The National Center for Injury Prevention and Control (NCIPC), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), invites public comments by October 5, 2021 regarding a draft proposal to continue the National Violent Death Reporting System (NVDRS).
NVDRS is a state-based surveillance system developed to monitor the occurrence of violent deaths (i.e., homicide, suicide, deaths due to legal intervention, deaths of undetermined intent, and unintentional firearm deaths) in the United States (U.S.) by collecting comprehensive data from multiple sources (e.g., death certificates, coroner/medical examiner reports, law enforcement reports) into a useable, anonymous database. All 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico participate in the system.
NVDRS is an ongoing surveillance system that captures annual violent death counts and circumstances that precipitate each violent incident. CDC aggregates de-identified data from each state into one national database that is analyzed and released in annual reports and other publications. Descriptive analyses such as frequencies and rates will be employed. A restricted access database is available for researchers to request access to NVDRS data for analysis and a web-based query system is open for public use that allows for electronic querying of data.
NVDRS is coordinated and funded at the federal level but is dependent on separate data collection efforts in each state managed by the state health departments or their bona fide agent. NVDRS collects data on violent death, defined as a death resulting from the intentional use of physical force or power (e.g., threats or intimidation) against oneself, another person, or against a group or community. This includes all homicides, suicides, and deaths occurring when law enforcement exerts deadly force in the line of duty. In addition, NVDRS states are required to collect information about unintentional firearm injury deaths (i.e., incidents in which the person causing the injury did not intend to discharge the firearm) and on deaths where the intent cannot be determined ("undetermined deaths") but where there is evidence that force was used. Although these deaths are not considered violent deaths by the above definition, information is collected on these types of death because some of these deaths may have been violent.
The collection of this data comes from three primary data sources: death certificates, coroner, or medical examiner reports (some states have coroner systems while others have medical examiner or combined systems), and law enforcement records. Most states find it easiest to begin data collection with death certificates because the state health department itself collects death certificates. An average of 250 data elements are collected on each incident. If all optional modules are used, up to 600 data elements (Att. 8) could be collected per incident.
This revision request is for several changes to the system:
(1) Implementation of updates to the web-based system to improve performance, functionality, and accessibility,
(2) Adding thirteen new data elements to the web-based system (housing instability, history of non-suicidal self injury/self harm, household known to local authorities, caregiver use of corporal punishment contributed to child death, children present and/or witnessed fatal incident, prior child protective services report on child victim's household, substance abuse in child victim's household, caregiver burden, history of traumatic brain injury, family stressor, life transition/loss of independent living, non-adherence to mental health/substance abuse treatment, and disaster exposure (revisions to existing variable),
(3) Adding the School Associated Violent Death (SAVD) module (only applicable to school-related incidents meeting certain inclusion criteria) to NVDRS Software 2.2 in order to capture such incidents. To address duplication, SAVD will be phased out and the SAVD module in NVDRS will capture in depth information about such incidents. This change was made as NVDRS has almost achieved full nationwide coverage,
(4) Adding new variables that have been incorporated into NVDRS 2.3 software, anticipated to be rolled out in July/August 2021 (victim known to local authorities, no substance(s) given as cause of death (on toxicology tab), and type of physical health problem, and
(5) Adding the Public Safety Officer Suicide Reporting module, in January 2022, to capture more detailed information on suicides among public safety officers.
A software update, version 2.3, is in testing and scheduled for release early in August 2021 that includes; (1) capability to transfer cases from one state to another (to assist collaboration on border-crossing incidents), (2) generation of custom data export files on demand, and (3) very slight modifications to School-Associated Violent Death (SAVD) data elements based on feedback since launch of that module. The new variables described in the updates above were needed in response to feedback from VDRS abstractors and discussions among NVDRS scientific and Information Technology staff about how to better capture this information.
NVDRS website:
https://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/datasources/nvdrs/index.html
NVDRS data tool:
https://wisqars.cdc.gov:8443/nvdrs/nvdrsDisplay.jsp
Draft 2021 NVDRS submission:
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/ehzhser5emg41f5/AACxQSH44fXEyMN8SpW701bha?dl=0
FR notice inviting public comments by October 5:
https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2021/08/06/2021-16821/proposed-data-collection-submitted-for-public-comment-and-recommendations
For reference: previous NVDRS submission, approved by OMB for July 2020-July 2023:
https://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAViewICR?ref_nbr=202004-0920-001
Terms of Clearance --> Previous terms continue: NCIPC’s NVDRS and SUDORS programs will continue to collaborate with NCHS’ NCVS to share knowledge and optimize investments associated with collecting data from state CMEs. The goal of this collaboration is to a) reduce duplicative reporting of the same data by States to different components of CDC; b) to improve the quality and timeliness of CME data to CDC (e.g., by increasing electronic interoperability of CME case management systems and public health reporting systems); and c) to maximize the value of the data being reported.
Click on IC List for NVDRS data collection screens, coding manual, and data elements. Click on View Supporting Statement for technical documentation.
Point of contact: Dr. James A. Mercy, PhD, Director, Division of Violence Prevention [DVP], CDC (770) 488-4723 jam2@cdc.gov
