[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 91 (Thursday, May 10, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 21776-21778]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-09918]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

[60Day-18-0572; Docket No. CDC-2018-0026]


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 the opportunity to comment on a proposed and/or 
continuing information collection, as required by the Paperwork 
Reduction Act of 1995. This notice invites comment on a proposed 
information collection project titled Health Message Testing System 
(HMTS). The Health Message Testing System (HMTS), a Generic information 
collection, that enables programs across CDC to collect the information 
they require in a timely manner.

DATES: CDC must receive written comments on or before July 9, 2018.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments, identified by Docket No. CDC-2018-
0026 by any of the following methods:
     Federal eRulemaking Portal: Regulations.gov. Follow the 
instructions for submitting comments.
     Mail: Jeffrey M. Zirger, 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. CDC will post, without change, all relevant comments 
to Regulations.gov.
    Please note: Submit all comments 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

[[Page 21777]]

extension of existing collection of information, and each reinstatement 
of previously approved information collection before submitting the 
collection to the OMB for approval. To comply with this requirement, we 
are publishing this notice of a proposed data collection as described 
below.
    The OMB is particularly interested in comments that will help:
    1. Evaluate whether the proposed collection of information is 
necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the agency, 
including whether the information will have practical utility;
    2. Evaluate the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden of 
the proposed collection of information, including the validity of the 
methodology and assumptions used;
    3. Enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to 
be collected; and
    4. Minimize the burden of the collection of information on those 
who are to respond, including through the use of appropriate automated, 
electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection techniques or 
other forms of information technology, e.g., permitting electronic 
submissions of responses.
    5. Assess information collection costs.

Proposed Project

    Health Message Testing System (HMTS) 0920-0572--Reinstatement--
Office of the Associate Director for Communication (OADC), Centers for 
Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Background and Brief Description

    Before CDC disseminates a health message to the public, the message 
always undergoes scientific review. Even though the message is based on 
sound scientific content, there is no guarantee that the public will 
understand a health message or that the message will move people to 
take a recommended action. Communication theorists and researchers 
agree that for health messages to be as clear and influential as 
possible, target audience members or representatives must be involved 
in developing the messages, and provisional versions of the messages 
must be tested with members of the target audience.
    Increasingly, there are circumstances when CDC must move swiftly to 
protect life, prevent disease, or calm public anxiety. Health message 
testing is even more important in these instances, because of the 
critical nature of the information need.
    In the interest of timely health message dissemination, many 
programs forgo the important step of testing messages on dimensions 
such as clarity, salience, appeal, and persuasiveness (i.e., the 
ability to influence behavioral intention). Skipping this step avoids 
the delay involved in the standard OMB review process, but at a high 
potential cost. Untested messages can waste communication resources and 
opportunities because the messages can be perceived as unclear or 
irrelevant. Untested messages can also have unintended consequences, 
such as jeopardizing the credibility of Federal health officials.
    The Health Message Testing System (HMTS), a generic information 
collection, enables programs across CDC to collect the information they 
require in a timely manner to:
     Ensure quality and prevent waste in the dissemination of 
health information by CDC to the public.
     Refine message concepts and to test draft materials for 
clarity, salience, appeal, and persuasiveness to target audiences.
     Guide the action of health communication officials who are 
responding to health emergencies, Congressionally-mandated campaigns 
with short timeframes, media-generated public concern, time-limited 
communication opportunities, trends, and the need to refresh materials 
or dissemination strategies in an ongoing campaign.
     Ensure each testing instrument will be based on specific 
health issues or topics.
    Although it is not possible to develop one instrument for use in 
all instances, the same kinds of questions are asked in most message 
testing. This package includes generic questions and formats that can 
used to develop health message testing data collection instruments. 
These include a list of screening questions, comprised of demographic 
and introductory questions, along with other questions that can be used 
to create a mix of relevant questions for each proposed message testing 
data collection method. However, programs may request to use additional 
questions if needed.
    Message testing questions will focus on issues such as 
comprehension, impressions, personal relevance, content and wording, 
efficacy of response, channels, and spokesperson/sponsor. Such 
information will enable message developers to enhance the effectiveness 
of messages for intended audiences.
    Data collection methods proposed for HMTS includes intercept 
interviews, telephone interviews, focus groups, online surveys, and 
cognitive interviews. In almost all instances, data will be collected 
by outside organizations under contract with CDC.
    For many years CDC programs have used HMTS to test and refine 
message concepts and test draft materials for clarity, salience, 
appeal, and persuasiveness to target audiences. Having this generic 
clearance available has enabled them to test their information and get 
critical health information out to the public quickly. Over the last 
three years, more than 30 messages have been tested using this 
clearance. Examples of use of the HMTS mechanism include:
    (1) Domestic Readiness Initiative on Zika Virus Disease-Year 2 Core 
Campaign Materials. As part of the mission of CDC's Domestic Readiness 
Initiative on the Zika Virus Disease, CDC collected information to 
inform an outcome evaluation to determine the extent to which the 
campaign affected awareness, attitudes, and intention to follow 
recommended behaviors at different points during the campaign. The goal 
of the evaluation was to better understand awareness of campaign 
activities, how people perceive Zika as a health risk, and assess their 
uptake of recommended health behaviors, such as applying insect 
repellent, using condoms, and wearing long-sleeved clothing.
    (2) Assessing Perception and Use of CDC Guideline for Prescribing 
Opioids for Chronic Pain. The purpose of this collection is to assess 
primary care physician's perceptions and use of communication materials 
and products associated with the CDC Guideline for Prescribing Opioids 
for Chronic Pain. Information collected can assist in the most 
effective use of CDC communication resources and opportunities by 
assessing clarity, salience, appeal, persuasiveness and effectiveness 
of materials promoting the dissemination and implementation of the 
Guideline. Specifically, CDC seeks to understand how primary care 
physicians perceive, need, and implement the Guideline to make 
prescribing decisions; how they need, obtain, and use supplementary and 
promotional Guideline materials developed by CDC for professional 
development or patient education; and what attitudinal and structural 
barriers may inhibit primary care provider adoption of the 
recommendations in the Guideline.
    Over 10,000 respondents were queried and over 4,500 burden hours 
used during the most recent approval period. Because the availability 
of this ICR has been so critical to programs in disseminating their 
materials and

[[Page 21778]]

information to the public in a timely manner, OADC is requesting a 
three year extension of this information collection. The estimated 
annualized Burden Hours are 2,470. There is no cost to the respondents 
other than their time.

                                        Estimated Annualized Burden Hours
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                                                                     Number of    Average burden
      Type of respondents           Form name        Number of     responses per   per response    Total burden
                                                    respondents     respondent      (in hours)      (in hours)
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Public Health Professionals,    Moderator's               18,525               1            8/60           2,470
 Health Care Providers,State     Guides,
 and Local Public Health         Eligibility
 Officials, Emergency            Screeners,
 Responders, General Public.     Interview
                                 Guides, Opinion
                                 Surveys,
                                 Consent Forms.
                                                 ---------------------------------------------------------------
    Total.....................  ................  ..............  ..............  ..............           2,470
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Jeffrey M. Zirger,
Acting 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. 2018-09918 Filed 5-9-18; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4163-18-P