[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 160 (Monday, August 21, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 39586-39587]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-17582]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

[60Day-17-0214; Docket No. CDC-2017-0063]


Proposed Data Collection Submitted for Public Comment and 
Recommendations

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

ACTION: Notice with comment period.

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SUMMARY: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), as part 
of its continuing effort to reduce public burden and maximize the 
utility of government information, invites the general public and other 
Federal agencies to take this opportunity to comment on proposed and/or 
continuing information collections, as required by the Paperwork 
Reduction Act of 1995. This notice invites comment on the National 
Health Interview Survey (NHIS). The annual National Health Interview 
Survey is a major source of general statistics on the health of the 
U.S. population.

DATES: Written comments must be received on or before October 20, 2017.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments, identified by Docket No. CDC-2017-
0063 by any of the following methods:
     Federal eRulemaking Portal: Regulations.gov. Follow the 
instructions for submitting comments.
     Mail: Leroy A. Richardson, Information Collection Review 
Office, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1600 Clifton Road 
NE., MS-D74, Atlanta, Georgia 30329.
    Instructions: All submissions received must include the agency name 
and Docket Number. All relevant comments received will be posted 
without change to Regulations.gov, including any personal information 
provided. For access to the docket to read background documents or 
comments received, go to Regulations.gov.
    Please note: All public comment should be submitted through the 
Federal eRulemaking portal (regulations.gov) or by U.S. mail to the 
address listed above.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: To request more information on the 
proposed project or to obtain a copy of the information collection plan 
and instruments, contact Leroy A. Richardson, Information Collection 
Review Office, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1600 Clifton 
Road NE., MS-D74, Atlanta, Georgia 30329; phone: 404-639-7570; Email: 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 
(PRA) (44 U.S.C. 3501-3520), Federal agencies must obtain approval from 
the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for each collection of 
information they conduct or sponsor. In addition, the PRA also requires 
Federal agencies to provide a 60-day notice in the Federal Register 
concerning each proposed collection of information, including each new 
proposed collection, each proposed extension of existing collection of 
information, and each reinstatement of previously approved information 
collection before submitting the collection to OMB for approval. To 
comply with this requirement, we are publishing this notice of a 
proposed data collection as described below.
    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; (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; and (e) estimates of capital or start-
up costs and costs of operation, maintenance, and purchase of services 
to provide information. Burden means the total time, effort, or 
financial resources expended by persons to generate, maintain, retain, 
disclose or provide information to or for a Federal agency. This 
includes the time needed to review instructions; to develop, acquire, 
install and utilize technology and systems for the purpose of 
collecting, validating and verifying information, processing and 
maintaining information, and disclosing and providing information; to 
train personnel and to be able to respond to a collection of 
information, to search data sources, to complete and review the 
collection of information; and to transmit or otherwise disclose the 
information.

Proposed Project

    National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) (OMB Control No. 0920-0124, 
Exp. 12/31/2019)--Revision--National Center for Health Statistics 
(NCHS), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Background and Brief Description

    Section 306 of the Public Health Service (PHS) Act (42 U.S.C.), as 
amended, authorizes that the Secretary of Health and Human Services 
(HHS), acting through NCHS, shall collect statistics on the extent and 
nature of illness and disability of the population of the United 
States.
    The annual National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) is a major 
source of general statistics on the health of the U.S. population and 
has been in the field continuously since 1957. This voluntary and 
confidential household-based survey collects demographic and health-
related information from a nationally-representative sample of 
households and noninstitutionalized, civilian persons throughout the 
country. NHIS data have long been used by government, academic, and 
private researchers to evaluate both general health and specific 
issues, such as smoking, diabetes, health care coverage, and access to 
health care. The survey is also a leading source of data for the 
Congressionally-mandated ``Health US'' and related publications, as 
well as the single most important source of statistics to track 
progress toward Departmental health objectives.
    The 2018 NHIS questionnaire remains largely unchanged from its 2017 
version, with the exception of new supplements that are being added on 
asthma and cancer control. These supplements replace those from 2017 on 
receipt of culturally and linguistically appropriate health care 
services, epilepsy, cognitive disability, complementary health, 
hepatitis B/C screening, vision, and heart disease and stroke 
prevention. Continuing from 2017 are questions about access to and 
utilization of care and barriers to care, chronic pain, diabetes, 
disability and functioning, family food security, ABCS of heart disease 
and stroke prevention, immunizations, smokeless tobacco and e-
cigarettes, and children's mental health.
    In addition, in the last quarter of 2018, a portion of the regular 
2018 NHIS sample will be used to carry out a dress rehearsal and 
systems test of the redesigned NHIS questionnaire that is scheduled for 
launch in January 2019. The redesigned questionnaire revises the NHIS 
both in terms of content and

[[Page 39587]]

structure in order to (1) improve the measurement of covered health 
topics, (2) reduce respondent burden by shortening the length of the 
questionnaire and seamlessly integrating supplements, (3) harmonize 
overlapping content with other federal health surveys, (4) establish a 
long-term structure of ongoing and periodic topics, and (5) incorporate 
advances in survey methodology and measurement.
    As in past years, and in accordance with the 1995 initiative to 
increase the integration of surveys within the DHHS, respondents to the 
2018 NHIS will serve as the sampling frame for the Medical Expenditure 
Panel Survey. In addition, a subsample of NHIS respondents and/or 
members of commercial survey panels may be identified to participate in 
short, Web-based methodological and cognitive testing activities to 
evaluate the redesigned questionnaire and/or inform the development of 
new rotating and supplemental content using Web and/or mail survey 
tools.
    There is no cost to the respondents other than their time. 
Clearance is sought for three years, to collect data for 2018-2020.

                                        Estimated Annualized Burden Hours
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                                                                                      Average
                                                     Number of       Number of      burden per     Total burden
      Type of respondent            Form name       respondents    responses per   response  (in    (in hours)
                                                                    respondent        hours)
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Adult Household Member........  Main Household            39,375               1           23/60          15,094
                                 Composition and
                                 Family Core.
Sample Adult..................  Main Adult Core.          31,500               1           15/60           7,875
Adult Family Member...........  Main Child Core.          12,250               1           10/60           2,042
Adult Family Member...........  Main Supplements          45,000               1           20/60          15,000
Adult Household Member........  Redesigned                 5,625               1           23/60           2,156
                                 Family Core.
Sample Adult..................  Redesigned Adult           4,500               1           15/60           1,125
                                 Core.
Adult Family Member...........  Redesigned Child           1,750               1           10/60             292
                                 Core.
Adult Family Member...........  Methodological            15,000               1           20/60           5,000
                                 Projects.
Adult Family Member...........  Reinterview                5,000               1            5/60             417
                                 Survey.
rrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr
    Total.....................  ................  ..............  ..............  ..............          49,000
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Leroy A. Richardson,
Chief, Information Collection Review Office, Office of Scientific 
Integrity, Office of the Associate Director for Science, Office of the 
Director, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
[FR Doc. 2017-17582 Filed 8-18-17; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4163-18-P