[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 17 (Friday, January 25, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 4574-4575]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-1233]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

[30Day-08-07AS]


Agency Forms Undergoing Paperwork Reduction Act Review

    The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) publishes a 
list of information collection requests under review by the Office of 
Management and Budget (OMB) in compliance with the Paperwork Reduction 
Act (44 U.S.C. Chapter 35). To request a copy of these requests, call 
the CDC Reports Clearance Officer at (404) 639-5960 or send an e-mail 
to [email protected]. Send written comments to CDC Desk Officer, Office of 
Management and Budget, Washington, DC or by fax to (202) 395-6974. 
Written comments should be received within 30 days of this notice.

Proposed Project

    Focus Group Testing and Survey on Radiological Event Messages for 
Public Health Workers--New--National Center for Environmental Health 
(NCEH), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Background and Brief Description

    In January 2003, CDC held a roundtable to specifically address 
communications needs likely to arise in the aftermath of a terrorist 
event involving mass casualties. Hospital administrators and 
clinicians, public health practitioners, and emergency planners 
emphasized the gaps in their training and in their knowledge of how to 
respond to nuclear or radiological events.
    Concurrent with this, CDC began working with the Association of 
Schools of Public Health (ASPH) to assess knowledge, attitudes, and 
behaviors related to preparedness for a radiological or nuclear 
terrorist event in the United States. The strong and clear message 
delivered to the CDC was that both the professional (e.g., clinicians 
and public health workers) and the lay American public were unprepared 
to respond to such an event (Becker 2004). Specifically, clinicians who 
participated in the research acknowledged a lack of training and 
preparedness, a potential unwillingness to treat patients if they are 
perceived as radiologically contaminated, and concerns about public 
panic and consequent overwhelming of hospitals and other clinical 
systems. More importantly, findings from the meeting revealed a 
critical need to assess communication preparedness among public health 
workers in relation to radiological emergencies.
    This proposal addresses the need for the development of clear 
communication messages in the event of a radiological incident. As part 
of a cooperative agreement, CDC has contracted with the National Public 
Health Information Coalition (NPHIC) to collect data from public health 
workers in 6 states--California, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, North Carolina 
and South Carolina--to evaluate a set of messages that have been 
developed by CDC for public health workers to use before, during and 
after a radiological event. The 5 communication messages focus on the 
main concerns expressed by representatives from these 6 states and 
other participants in audience research. The participating states 
volunteered for this project. Public health workers referenced in this 
proposal are nurses, physicians, clinical technicians, administrative, 
management and support staff and epidemiologists.
    CDC's primary goal is to protect the health and safety of the 
public. Since public health workers are usually first responders in 
various capacities in the event of a radiological emergency, the need 
to develop time-sensitive and consistent communication messages is 
vital. Developing clear messages that can be used by public health 
workers as an integral part of their radiological emergency plan is 
consistent with this goal. These message concepts, which range from how 
to protect the worker and family to the role of the public health 
worker during a radiological emergency will serve as a reference tool 
and guidance for state health departments in the event of such 
situations.
    This proposal seeks approval to obtain data using two methods, 
focus group testing and electronic surveys to achieve greater results. 
Focus group

[[Page 4575]]

testing will be conducted to obtain qualitative data that will be 
gathered through a series of six focus groups of public health workers, 
one in each participating state. The focus groups will consist of 12 
participants and will be about 1\1/2\ hours in length. The focus group 
testing will assess attitudes, knowledge and emotional responses. Of 
particular interest will be how the participants might react to 
radiological concepts pertaining to their roles as public health 
workers and scenarios that will be included in the messages. 
Quantitative data will be obtained through a one-time written 
electronic survey to randomly selected public health workers in the six 
states. The participants who will be participating in the electronic 
survey will not be included in the focus group testing.
    CDC proposes to use this information to develop a final set of 
communication messages. The intent is for the messages to be 
disseminated using various methods and to provide a more consistent 
platform for states to respond to radiological emergencies. This 
research will help refine messages that have the ability to increase 
the percentage of workers who present to deliver services in a 
radiological emergency. Also, as a result of the study, CDC will have a 
set of tested public health messages that can allow public health 
workers to speak with one voice to the general public in a radiological 
emergency. In addition, the development of these messages will foster 
collaboration among the states and CDC.
    Therefore, CDC requests approval to test one set of five messages 
among public health workers using focus group testing and electronic 
surveys. The surveys and focus groups will include questions about how 
believable the messages are, what would make them more believable, the 
need for additional information for a clearer understanding of the 
messages, how and if the messages help them to feel safe, and what 
would make them easier to understand.
    There is no cost to the respondents other than their time. The 
total estimated annualized burden hours are 782 hours.

                                        Estimated Annualized Burden Hours
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                                                                                                      Average
                                           Form of collecting        Number of       Number of      burden per
          Type of respondent                   information          respondents    responses per   response  (in
                                                                                    respondent        hours)
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Public Health Workers.................  Focus Groups............              72               1           90/60
Public Health Workers.................  E-mail Surveys..........            2022               1           20/60
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    Dated:January 16, 2008.
Maryam I. Daneshvar,
Acting Reports Clearance Officer, Centers for Disease Control and 
Prevention.
 [FR Doc. E8-1233 Filed 1-24-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4163-18-P