[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 36 (Monday, February 24, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 8610-8611]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-4211]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

National Institutes of Health


Proposed Collection; Comment Request; NCCAM Customer Service Data 
Collection

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 Center for 
Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM), at 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: NCCAM Customer Service Data Collection.
    Type of Information Collection Request: New.
    Need and Use of Information Collection: NCCAM provides the public, 
patients, families, health care providers, CAM practitioners, and 
others with the latest scientifically based information on CAM and 
information about NCCAM's programs through a variety of channels 
including its toll-free telephone information service and its quarterly 
newsletter. To ensure that NCCAM is effectively serving all audiences, 
NCCAM needs to measure customer satisfaction with NCCAM telephone 
interactions and the NCCAM newsletter and to assess which audiences are 
being reached through these channels. This effort involves a telephone 
survey consisting of 9 questions, which will be asked of 50% of all 
callers, for an annual total of approximately 4,059 respondents; and a 
newsletter survey consisting of 10 questions, which will be sent as a 
print survey to be completed and mailed back by newsletter subscribers, 
for a total of approximately 6,098 respondents. NCCAM will use the data 
collected from the surveys to characterize NCCAM users and help program 
staff measure the impact of their communication efforts, tailor 
services to the public and health care providers, measure service use 
among special populations, and assess the most effective media and 
messages to reach these audiences.
    Frequency of Response: Once for the telephone survey, and twice for 
the newsletter survey (once at outset and again after 2.5 years to 
measure any changes in customer satisfaction and/or audience profile).
    Affected Public: Individuals and households.
    Type of Respondents: For the telephone survey, patient, spouse/
family/friend of patient, health care providers, physicians, CAM 
practitioners, or other individuals contacting the NCCAM Clearinghouse; 
for the newsletter survey, subscribers to the NCCAM newsletter.
    The annual reporting burden is as follows.

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                                                                     Estimated                       Estiamted
                                                     Estimated       number of        Average      total annual
               Type of respondents                   number of     responses per   burden hours    burden hours
                                                    respondents     respondent     per response      requested
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Telephone survey: Individuals or households.....           4,059               1           0.075         304.425
Newsletter survey: Individuals or households....           6,098               2           0.050         609.800
                                                 -----------------
    Annualized totals...........................          10,157  ..............  ..............         914.225
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    The annualized cost to respondents is estimated at $5,561.84 for 
the telephone survey and $9,756.80 for the newsletter survey. There are 
no Capital Costs to report. There are no Operating or Maintenance Costs 
to report.
    Request for Comments: Written comments and/or suggestions from the 
public and affected agencies are invited on 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

[[Page 8611]]

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; (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 Christy Thomsen, Director, Office of 
Communications and Public Liaison, NCCAM, 6707 Democracy Boulevard, 
Suite 401, Bethesda, MD 20892-5475, or fax your request to 301-480-
3519, or e-mail [email protected]. Ms. Thomsen can be contacted by 
telephone at 301-451-8876.
    Comments Due Date: Comments regarding this information collection 
are best assured of having their full effect if received within 60 days 
of the date of this publication.

    Dated: January 31, 2003.
Christy Thomsen,
Director, Office of Communications and Public Liaison, National Center 
for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, National Institutes of 
Health.
[FR Doc. 03-4211 Filed 2-21-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4140-01-M