[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 199 (Monday, October 15, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 62514-62515]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-25259]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES


Announcement of Solicitation of Written Comments on Modifications 
of Healthy People 2020 Objectives

AGENCY: Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the 
Secretary, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health, Office of 
Disease Prevention and Health Promotion.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) 
solicits written comments regarding new objectives proposed to be added 
to Healthy People 2020 since its launch in December 2010 and written 
comments proposing new objectives to be included within existing 
Healthy People 2020 Topic Areas. Public participation helps shape 
Healthy People 2020, its framework, objectives, organization, and 
targets. Healthy People 2020 will provide opportunities for public 
input periodically throughout the decade to ensure Healthy People 2020 
reflects current public health priorities and public input. The updated 
set of Healthy People 2020 objectives will be incorporated on 
www.healthypeople.gov. This set will reflect further review and 
deliberation by the Topic Area workgroups, Federal Interagency 
Workgroup on Healthy People 2020, and other Healthy People 2020 
stakeholders.

DATES: Written comments will be accepted until 5:00 p.m. ET on November 
5, 2012.

ADDRESSES: Written comments will be accepted via an online public 
comment database at http://healthypeople.gov/2020/about/publicComment.aspx; by mail at Office of Disease Prevention and Health 
Promotion, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Attn: Public 
Comment 1101 Wootton Parkway, Room LL-100, Rockville, MD 20852; fax--
240-453-8281; or [email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Theresa Devine, MPH, Office of Disease 
Prevention and Health Promotion, U.S. Department of Health and Human 
Services, 1101 Wootton Parkway, Room LL-100, Rockville, MD 20852, 
[email protected] (email), 240-453-6112 (telephone), 240-453-8281 
(fax).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: For three decades, Healthy People has 
provided a comprehensive set of national 10-year health promotion and 
disease prevention objectives aimed at improving the health of all 
Americans. Healthy People 2020 objectives provide a framework by 
presenting a comprehensive picture of the nation's health at the 
beginning of the decade, establishing national goals and targets to be 
achieved by the year 2020, and monitoring progress over time. The U.S. 
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is soliciting the 
submission of written comments regarding new objectives proposed to be 
added to Healthy People 2020 since its launch in December 2010.
    Healthy People 2020 is the product of an extensive collaborative 
process that relies on input from a diverse array of individuals and 
organizations, both within and outside the federal government, with a 
common interest in improving the nation's health. Public comments were 
a cornerstone of Healthy People 2020's development. During the first 
phase of planning for Healthy People 2020, HHS asked for the public's 
comments on the vision, mission, and implementation of Healthy People 
2020. Those comments helped set the framework for Healthy People 2020. 
The public was also invited to submit comments on proposed Healthy 
People 2020 objectives, which helped shape the final set of Healthy 
People 2020 objectives.
    The public is now invited to comment on new objectives proposed to 
be added to Healthy People 2020. These new objectives were developed by 
Topic Area workgroups led by various agencies within the federal 
government. They have been reviewed by a Federal Interagency Workgroup 
on Healthy People 2020 and are presented now for the public's review 
and comment. The public is also invited to suggest additional 
objectives for consideration that address critical public health issues 
within existing Healthy People 2020 Topic Areas. All proposed new 
objectives must meet all of the objective selection criteria (see 
below).
    Written comments will be accepted at http://healthypeople.gov/2020/about/publicComment.aspx during a three-week public comment period 
beginning in October 2012. The public will also be able to submit 
written comments via mail, fax, and email (see contact information 
above). Comments received in response to this notice will be reviewed 
and considered by the Topic Area workgroups, Federal Interagency 
Workgroup on Healthy People 2020, and other Healthy People 2020 
stakeholders.

Objective Selection Criteria

    The following nine criteria should be taken into consideration when 
commenting on the proposed or suggesting additional objectives.
    1. The result to be achieved should be important and understandable 
to a broad audience and support the Healthy People 2020 goals.
    2. Objectives should be prevention oriented and/or should address 
health improvements that can be achieved through population-based and 
individual actions, and systems-based, environmental, health-service, 
or policy interventions.
    3. Objectives should drive actions that will work toward the 
achievement of the proposed targets (defined as quantitative values to 
be achieved by the year 2020).
    4. Objectives should be useful and reflect issues of national 
importance. Federal agencies, states, localities, non-governmental 
organizations, and the public and private sectors should be able to use 
objectives to target efforts in schools, communities, work sites, 
health practices, and other environments.
    5. Objectives should be measurable and should address a range of 
issues, such as: Behavior and health outcomes; availability of, access 
to, and content of behavioral and health service interventions; socio-
environmental conditions; and community capacity--directed toward 
improving health outcomes and quality of life across the life span. 
(Community capacity is defined as the ability of a community to plan, 
implement, and evaluate health strategies.)
    6. Continuity and comparability of measured phenomena from year to 
year are important, thus, when appropriate, retention of objectives 
from previous Healthy People iterations is encouraged. However, in 
instances where objectives and/or measures have proven illsuited

[[Page 62515]]

to the purpose or are inadequate, new improved objectives and/or new 
measures should be developed. Whether or not an objective has met its 
target in a previous Healthy People iteration should not be the sole 
basis for retaining or deleting an objective.
    7. The objectives should be supported by the best available 
scientific evidence. The objective selection and review processes 
should be flexible enough to allow revisions to objectives in order to 
reflect major updates or new knowledge.
    8. Objectives should address population disparities. These include 
populations categorized by race/ethnicity, socioeconomic status, 
gender, disability status, sexual orientation, and geographic location. 
For particular health issues, additional special populations should be 
addressed, based on an examination of the available evidence on 
vulnerability, health status, and disparate care.
    9. Healthy People 2020, like past versions, will be heavily data 
driven. Valid, reliable, nationally representative data and data 
systems should be used for Healthy People 2020 objectives. Each 
objective will have (1) a data source, or potential data source, 
identified, (2) baseline data and (3) assurance of at least one 
additional data point throughout the decade.

    Dated: October 1, 2012.
Don Wright,
Deputy Assistant Secretary for Health, Office of Disease Prevention and 
Health Promotion.
[FR Doc. 2012-25259 Filed 10-12-12; 8:45 am]
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