[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 104 (Wednesday, May 31, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 30937-30938]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-8351]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention


Solicitation for Nominations for New Primary and Secondary Public 
Health Topics To Be Considered for Review by the Task Force on 
Community Preventive Services

AGENCY: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Department of 
Health and Human Services (HHS).

ACTION: Solicit for new topic nominations.

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SUMMARY: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) invites 
individuals and organizations to nominate public health topic areas or 
related population-oriented interventions (i.e., interventions 
delivered to groups of people in communities or healthcare systems) for 
the Task Force on Community Preventive Services (Task Force) to 
consider for review. Topics that have been recently reviewed by the 
Task Force or are currently under review are listed below in the 
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section.
    The Task Force is an independent panel of experts that makes 
evidence-based recommendations regarding use of population-based 
interventions, which are selected from broad topic areas. 
Recommendations are based on the evidence gathered in rigorous and 
systematic scientific reviews of published studies conducted by Guide 
to Community Preventive Services (Community Guide) scientific teams. 
The findings from reviews are published in peer-reviewed journals and 
made available through the Community Guide Web site (http://thecommunityguide.org). Community Guide topics coordinate with Healthy 
People 2010 objectives; address topics related to the large preventable 
burden of disease; provide guidance on ways to reduce disease, injury, 
and impairment; and address social challenges.
    Topics can be nominated by individuals or organizations. The Task 
Force will consider nominations and prioritize topics for review using 
the following criteria: Public health importance (burden of disease, 
injury, impairment, or exposure); preventability (amount of burden that 
could realistically be reduced given adequate resources); relationship 
to other public health initiatives; and usefulness of the package of 
topics selected and level of current research and intervention activity 
in the public and private sectors. The Task Force will also prioritize 
topics for which there are gaps in the evidence and the potential to 
significantly improve public health decisionmaking. Nominations can be 
for new topics or topics previously reviewed by the Task Force.
    Basic Topic Nomination Requirements: Nominations must be no more 
than 250 words long and must include the following information. (A 
separate appendix, not included in the word count, can contain 
references and supporting documents.)
    1. Name of topic or intervention.
    2. Rationale for consideration by the Task Force, to include as 
appropriate:
    a. Justification that topic area addresses risk behaviors related 
to the largest burden of disease; provides guidance on ways to reduce 
disease, injury, and impairment; or addresses environmental and social 
challenges.
    b. Description of public health importance (burden of disease, 
injury, impairment, or exposure). Citations and supporting documents 
are recommended.
    c. Public health relevance (amount of burden that could 
realistically be reduced given adequate resources).
    d. Summary of new evidence, if any, that has potential to affect 
the Task Force's recommendation on a previously reviewed topic. Please 
refer to http://thecommunityguide.org for current Task Force 
recommendations. Citations and supporting documents are recommended.
    e. In topic areas that have already been addressed or identified as 
high priority by the Task Force, important interventions that have not 
yet been addressed or where additional new information may lead to 
updated conclusions can be identified. Please refer to http://thecommunityguide.org for existing Task Force recommendations. 
Citations and supporting documents are recommended.

DATES: Topic nominations should be submitted by June 23, 2006, to be 
considered for 2006-2008. CDC will not reply to submissions but will 
consider all topic nominations during the selection process. If a topic 
is selected for review by the Task Force, the nominator will be 
notified by CDC.

ADDRESSES: Please submit nominations to: Detrice Sherman, MPH, ATTN: 
Task Force Topic Nominations, National Center for Health Marketing, 
Community Guide, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 4770 
Buford Highway, MS K-95, Atlanta, GA 30341, Fax: 404-498-0979, E-mail: 
[email protected]. For further information please contact: Detrice 
Sherman at [email protected] or Peter Briss at [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    The scientific literature on specific health problems can be large, 
inconsistent, uneven in quality, or inaccessible. Through rigorous and 
systematic scientific reviews of published studies, the Guide to 
Community Preventive Services (Community Guide) serves as a filter for 
this information--using systematic review methods to summarize what is 
known about the effectiveness, economic efficiency, and feasibility of 
interventions to promote community health and prevent disease. The Task 
Force on Community Preventive Services makes recommendations for the 
use of various interventions based on the evidence gathered in these 
reviews. The findings from the reviews are published in peer-reviewed 
journals and also made available on the Internet at http://www.thecommunityguide.org.
    The Task Force is an independent panel of experts that makes 
evidence-based recommendations regarding population-based 
interventions. The group was convened in 1996 by the Department of 
Health and Human Services to provide leadership in the evaluation of 
community, population, and healthcare system strategies to address a 
variety of public health and health promotion topics such as physical 
activity. The Task Force's membership is multi-disciplinary, and 
includes perspectives representative of state and local health 
departments, managed care, academia, behavioral and social sciences, 
communications sciences, mental health, epidemiology, quantitative 
policy analysis, decision

[[Page 30938]]

and cost-effectiveness analysis, information systems, primary care, and 
management and policy.

Solicitation of Topic Nominations

    The purpose of this solicitation for new topics by CDC and the Task 
Force is to create a balanced portfolio of relevant topics for the 
current Task Force library. The current library is based on reviews and 
recommendations across a broad range of high burden, high interest 
topic areas: Changing health risk behaviors (adolescent health, 
physical activity, tobacco product use, nutrition, sexual behavior, 
alcohol abuse and misuse, substance abuse); addressing specific health 
conditions (cancer, diabetes, mental health, motor vehicle occupant 
injury, obesity, oral health, vaccine-preventable diseases, and 
violence prevention); and addressing the environment (improving health 
through changing the social environment, worksite health promotion). 
Selection of suggested topics will be made on the basis of 
qualifications of nominations as outlined above (see basic topic 
nomination requirements) and the current expertise of the Task Force.
    Topics That Have Been Reviewed:
    Diabetes, Informed Decision Making for Cancer Screening, Motor 
Vehicle Occupant Injury, Oral Health, Physical Activity, Skin Cancer 
Prevention, Social Environment, Tobacco, Vaccine Coverage, Vaccine 
Coverage in Adults at High Risk.
    Topics Currently Under Review:
    Adolescent Health, Alcohol, Cancer Screening (Breast, Cervical, and 
Colorectal), Improving Pregnancy Outcomes, Mental Health, Nutrition, 
Obesity, Sexual Behavior, Violence Prevention, Worksite Health 
Promotion.

    Dated: May 23, 2006.
James D. Seligman,
Chief Information Officer, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
 [FR Doc. E6-8351 Filed 5-30-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4163-18-P