[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 183 (Monday, September 22, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 55057-55058]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-24076]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

[60Day-03-116]


Proposed Data Collections Submitted for Public Comment and 
Recommendations

    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 Centers for Disease Control and 
Prevention (CDC) will publish periodic summaries of proposed projects. 
To request more information on the proposed projects or to obtain a 
copy of the data collection plans and instruments, call the CDC Reports 
Clearance Officer at (404) 639-7090.
    Comments are invited on: (a) Whether the proposed collection of 
information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of 
the agency, including whether the information shall have practical 
utility; (b) the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden of the 
proposed collection of information; (c) ways to enhance the quality, 
utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and (d) ways 
to minimize the burden of the collection of information on respondents, 
including through the use of automated collection techniques or other 
forms of information technology. Send comments to Anne O'Connor, CDC 
Assistant Reports Clearance Officer, 1600 Clifton Road, MS-D24, 
Atlanta, GA 30333. Written comments should be received within 60 days 
of this notice.
    Proposed Project: 2003 Connecticut Partners Project: Health Plan 
Member Survey on Smoking Cessation--New--National Center for Chronic 
Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (NCCDPHP), Centers for Disease 
Control and Prevention (CDC).
    Tobacco use is a leading cause of death and disability in the 
United States. It is also a considerable expense for managed care 
organizations in the form of tobacco related disease. In Connecticut, 
the smoking prevalence is

[[Page 55058]]

22.8% and tobacco use results in $1,273,000,000 in excess health care 
expenditures or $389 per capita.
    The Connecticut Partners Project will be developed by the Centers 
for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the American Association of 
Health Plans (AAHP), and four health plans in Connecticut. The four 
health plans are Anthem Blue Cross/Blue Shield, ConnectiCare, Health 
Net of the Northeast, Inc., and the Oxford Health Plan.
    The objectives of the Project are as follows:
    [sbull] Determine the feasibility of providing tobacco cessation 
counseling through case management programs within managed care.
    [sbull] Assess the feasibility and costs of delivering cessation 
counseling in a local setting that allows evaluation.
    [sbull] Determine whether counselor training through a standardized 
web based initiative impacts the quality of counseling.
    [sbull] Evaluate the delivery and impact of the interventions as 
well as their cost.
    The Project will provide an opportunity to assess the value and 
cost of providing tobacco cessation counseling through health plan case 
management strategies. At present there are only a handful of health 
plans that provide comprehensive tobacco control interventions. The 
proposed project will determine if there is a value to a smaller 
targeted approach with high-risk individuals. This could improve the 
reach of tobacco control efforts within managed care for a smaller, but 
important target population.
    A major component of this project will be a survey of health plan 
members. The goal of the member survey will be to evaluate the success 
and relative effectiveness of the smoking cessation interventions 
implemented within each of the health plan's disease management 
programs. The survey will contain approximately 35 questions and will 
include questions that assess patients' smoking status, readiness to 
quit, knowledge of adverse health effects of smoking, and use of 
smoking cessation resources. The survey will be sent to members 
identified as smokers in the commercial population within the health 
plans' disease management programs. The survey will be conducted on 
approximately 300 participants per health plan, for a total of 1,200 
participants.
    An independent evaluation vendor will be hired to field the survey. 
To achieve the highest possible response rate, the survey will be 
implemented in a mixed mode design, using both a self-administered mail 
survey followed by a telephone interview of non-respondents. Aggregated 
data will be reported to CDC and the health plans participating in the 
study. In addition, the reported results will be blinded as to the 
plans, but each plan will have access to its own data. There is no cost 
to respondents.

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                                                                     Number of    Average burden
                   Respondents                       Number of     responses per   per response    Total burden
                                                    respondents     respondent      (in hours)      (in hours)
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Anthem..........................................             300               1           20/60             100
ConnectiCare....................................             300               1           20/60             100
Health Net......................................             300               1           20/60             100
Oxford..........................................             300               1           20/60             100
    Total.......................................  ..............  ..............  ..............             400
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    Dated: September 15, 2003.
Nancy E. Cheal,
Acting Associate Director for Policy, Planning and Evaluation, Centers 
for Disease Control and Prevention.
[FR Doc. 03-24076 Filed 9-18-03; 12:01 pm]
BILLING CODE 4163-18-P