[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 47 (Thursday, March 9, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 12560-12561]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-5786]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

National Institutes of Health


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

SUMMARY:  In compliance with the requirement 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 (8/31/00).
    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, communication 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 communication 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 resource dollars wisely and effectively.
    Frequency of Response: On occasion.
    Affected Public: Individuals or households; Business or other for 
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 other 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) 
435-7783 or E-mail your request, including your address to: 
[email protected].

[[Page 12561]]


COMMENTS DUE DATE:  Comments regarding this information collection are 
best assured of having their full effect if received on or before May 
8, 2000.

    March 1, 2000.
Reesa L. Nichols,
NCI Project Clearance Liaison.
[FR Doc. 00-5786 Filed 3-8-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4140-01-M