[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 65 (Friday, April 4, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 16168-16169]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-8595]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
National Institutes of Health


Pretesting of Office of Cancer Communications Messages; Proposed 
Collection; Comment Request

    Summary: In compliance with the requirements of Section 
3506(c)(2)(A) of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, for opportunity 
for public comment on proposed data collection projects, the National 
Cancer Institute (NCI), the National Institutes of Health (NIH) will 
publish periodic summaries of proposed projects to be submitted to the 
Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval.

Proposed Collection

    Title: Pretesting of Office of Cancer Communications Messages.
    Type of Information Collection Request: EXTENSION (OMB # 0925-0046, 
expires 8/31/97).
    Need and Use of Information Collection: In order to carry out NCI's 
legislative mandate to educate and disseminate information about cancer 
prevention, detection diagnosis, and treatment to a wide variety of 
audiences and organizations (e.g. cancer patients, their families, the 
general public, health providers, the media, voluntary groups, 
scientific and medical organizations), the Office of Cancer 
Communications (OCC) needs to pretest its communications strategies, 
concepts, and messages while they are under development. The primary 
purpose of this pretesting, or formative evaluation, is to ensure that 
the messages, communications materials, and information services 
created by OCC have the greatest capacity of being received, 
understood, and accepted by their target audiences. By utilizing 
appropriate qualitative and quantitative methodologies, OCC is able to 
(1) Understand characteristics of the intended target audience--their 
attitudes, beliefs and behaviors--and use this information in the 
development of effective communications tools; (2) produce or refine 
messages that have the greatest potential to influence target audience 
attitudes and behavior in a positive manner; and (3) expend limited 
program resources dollars wisely and effectively. Frequency of 
Response: On occasion. Affected public: Individuals or households; 
Businesses or other for

[[Page 16169]]

profit; Not-for-profit institutions; Federal Government; State, Local 
or Tribal Government. Type of Respondents: Adult cancer patients; 
members of the public; health care professionals; organizational 
representatives. The annual reporting burden is as follows: Estimated 
Number of Respondents: 13,780; Estimated Number of Responses per 
Respondent: 1; Average Burden Hours Per Response; 1458; and Estimated 
Total Annual Burden Hours Requested: 2,010. There are no Capital Costs, 
Operating Costs and/or Maintenance Costs to report.

Request for Comments

    Written comments and/or suggestions from the public and affected 
agencies are invited on one or more of the following points: (1) 
Whether the proposed collection of information is necessary for the 
proper performance of the function of the agency, including whether the 
information will have practical utility; (2) The accuracy of the 
agency's estimate of the burden of the proposed collection of 
information, including the validity of the methodology and assumptions 
used; (3) Ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the 
information to be collected; and (4) Ways to minimize the burden of the 
collection of information on those who are to respond, including the 
use of appropriate automated, electronic, mechanical, or other 
technological collection techniques or their forms of information 
technology.

    For Further Information Contact: To request more information on the 
proposed project or to obtain a copy of the data collection plans and 
instruments, contact Ellen Eisner, Communications Research Manager, 
Health Promotion Branch, OCC, NCI, NIH, Building 31, Room 10A03, 9000 
Rockville Pike, Bethesda, MD 20892, or call non-toll-free number (301) 
496-6667 or E-mail your request, including your address to 
[email protected].

    Comments Due Date: Comments regarding this information collection 
are best assured of having their full effect if received by June 3, 
1997.

    Dated: March 27, 1997.
Nancie L. Bliss,
Project Clearance Liaison, NCI.
[FR Doc. 97-8595 Filed 4-3-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4140-01-M