[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 206 (Thursday, October 24, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Page 63452]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-24977]


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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Office of the Secretary

[Docket ID: DoD-2013-HA-0203]


Proposed Collection; Comment Request

AGENCY: Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health 
Affairs, DoD.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: In compliance with Section 3506(c)(2)(A) of the Paperwork 
Reduction Act of 1995, the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense 
for Health Affairs announces a proposed public information collection 
and seeks public comment on the provisions thereof. 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 
information collection; (c) ways to enhance the quality, utility, and 
clarity of the information to be collected; and (d) ways to minimize 
the burden of the information collection on respondents, including 
through the use of automated collection techniques or other forms of 
information technology.

DATES: Consideration will be given to all comments received by December 
23, 2013.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments, identified by docket number and 
title, by any of the following methods:
     Federal eRulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov. 
Follow the instructions for submitting comments.
     Mail: Federal Docket Management System Office, 4800 Mark 
Center Drive, East Tower, Suite 02G09, Alexandria, VA 22350-3100.
    Instructions: All submissions received must include the agency 
name, docket number and title for this Federal Register document. The 
general policy for comments and other submissions from members of the 
public is to make these submissions available for public viewing on the 
Internet at http://www.regulations.gov as they are received without 
change, including any personal identifiers or contact information.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: To request more information on this 
proposed information collection or to obtain a copy of the proposal and 
associated collection instruments, please write to Commanding Officer, 
Naval Health Research Center, ATTN: Michael Galarneau, MS, NREMT, 
Code161, 140 Sylvester Road, San Diego, CA 92106, or call at (619) 553-
8411 (this is not a toll-free number).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    Title; Associated Form; and OMB Number: Traumatic Brain Injury, 
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, and Long-Term Quality of Life Outcomes 
in Injured Tri-Service U.S. Military Personnel; OMB Control Number 
0720- TBD.
    Needs and Uses: The information collection requirement is necessary 
for the Naval Health Research Center (NHRC) to carry out the research 
study it has been tasked to perform. This research study will assess 
the long-term health impact of injury on quality of life outcomes in 
injured tri-service U.S. military personnel, with a special focus on 
the effects of traumatic brain injury (TBI) and Post-traumatic Stress 
Disorder (PTSD). Information collected will be used to investigate the 
long-term effects of injury, TBI, and PTSD on the overall physical and 
psychological health of military personnel injured in overseas 
contingency operations. Participants will respond to a health-related 
questionnaire bi-annually for three to six years. Respondents to this 
study will include both active-duty and separated members of all 
branches of the U.S. Armed Forces that have been injured and that have 
indicated a desire to participate through an Institutional Review Board 
(IRB)-approved informed consent process.
    Affected Public: Current and former members of the U.S. Armed 
Forces that have been injured in overseas contingency operations and 
that have indicated a desire to participate.
    Annual Burden Hours: 3,096 hours.
    Number of Respondents: 4,644.
    Responses Per Respondent: 2.
    Average Burden Per Response: 20 minutes.
    Frequency: Bi-annual.
    This information collection is necessary for the Naval Health 
Research Center (NHRC) to carry out the research study ``TRAUMATIC 
BRAIN INJURY, POST-TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER, AND LONG-TERM QUALITY OF 
LIFE OUTCOMES IN INJURED TRI-SERVICE U.S. MILITARY PERSONNEL.'' NHRC 
has been tasked by the office of Congressionally Directed Medical 
Research Programs (CDMRP) to conduct this longitudinal epidemiological 
study. The NHRC team will collect information about physical and 
psychological health from members of the U.S. Armed Forces that have 
been injured in overseas contingency operations by administering a 
voluntary web, phone, or mail survey bi-annually for a period of three 
(3) to six (6) years. In all cases, informed consent will be obtained 
prior to survey administration. The information collected will be used 
to ascertain the long-term effects of traumatic brain injury (TBI), 
Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), and other injuries on quality of 
life outcomes. Pinpointing the effects of these injuries will allow for 
the development of more effective treatments and early interventions in 
the management of TBI, PTSD, and other injuries sustained by U.S. 
military personnel in overseas contingency operations.

    Dated: October 21, 2013.
Aaron Siegel,
Alternate OSD Federal Register Liaison Officer, Department of Defense.
[FR Doc. 2013-24977 Filed 10-23-13; 8:45 am]
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