In 1978, to facilitate the expansion of the Epidemiology and Biostatistics Program (EBP), the Director, NCI, established a Working Group on Epidemiology Data Resources with Dr. Beebe as chairman. The efforts of the Group have been directed at the development of a national database for occupational mortality; evaluating methods of record linkage; obtaining access to existing files, especially the administrative files of Federal agencies, extending the National Death Index back in time before 1979; seeking knowledge of databases not presently used by EBP investigators, reviewing Master Order Agreement-Requests for Proposals, oversight of the Veterans Administration (VA) hospital discharge file; and liaison with the National Center for Health Statistics in regard to the National Death Index. Several interagency agreements have been developed that may, in time, lead to the creation of a national database for occupational mortality. A legislative initiative has been drafted in the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health in an effort to broaden access to the taxpayer address files of the Internal Revenue Service.
