[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 15 (Thursday, January 23, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 3920-3921]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-01050]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

[60Day-20-20EN; Docket No. CDC-2019-0116]


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 ``Identifying Information Needs 
and Communication Channels for Reaching At-Risk Populations During 
Emergencies''. This information collections aims to understand the 
preferences, needs, and challenges of persons with limited English 
proficiency (LEP) in accessing and understanding health protection 
information during an infectious disease emergency as well as persons 
who will likely help them navigate and understand health information 
during an outbreak: Family, physicians, staff at community-based 
organizations, and staff at local public health agencies.

DATES: CDC must receive written comments on or before March 23, 2020.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments, identified by Docket No. CDC-2019-
0116 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 Jeffrey M. Zirger, 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 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

    Identifying Information Needs and Communication Channels for 
Reaching At-Risk Populations During Emergencies--New--Center for 
Preparedness and Response (CPR), Centers for Disease Control and 
Prevention (CDC).

Background and Brief Description

    Nearly one tenth of the United States population over age five, or 
more than 25.9 million people, have limited English proficiency (LEP). 
Persons with LEP are disproportionately vulnerable to negative health 
outcomes, particularly in infectious disease emergencies. Communicating 
with such persons quickly and effectively in an emergency is essential, 
as it can encourage them to take protective personal actions like hand-
washing or vaccination. These actions can protect persons with LEP and 
their friends and family members while reducing the spread and scale of 
the outbreak.
    Despite widespread recognition of risks for persons with LEP in 
outbreaks and the importance of effective emergency risk communication, 
current guidelines are insufficient. Further, the empirical evidence to 
develop such guidelines is extremely limited. There is little 
understanding of persons with LEP's communication needs in emergencies, 
particularly from their own perspective and in their own voice. There 
is little data about preferences for and trust in information sources, 
communication channels, or formats--particularly social media--nor data 
fully describing barriers in accessing information. There is also 
little discussion of how the sociocultural context or social 
determinants play a role. Without evidence-based guidelines that 
address such central issues, it can be extremely challenging to create 
a communication or behavior change strategy, drive related programming, 
or develop messages and materials. This is especially true in the high-
pressure moments of infectious disease emergencies, where time is 
limited, the science is evolving, and organizations have competing 
priorities.
    This research effort will provide CDC with information about the 
preferences, needs, and challenges of persons with LEP in accessing and 
understanding health protection information during an infectious 
disease emergency. The findings will be used to develop evidence-based 
emergency risk communication recommendations for CDC and state, local 
and territorial public health agencies. The results will be used to 
help ensure LEP-focused communications are effective, prevent delays, 
reduce inequities in health outcomes, and help contain infectious 
disease outbreaks that affect LEP communities and the broader public. 
The proposed study utilizes a rigorous

[[Page 3921]]

mixed methods design. It incorporates views of persons with LEP through 
a survey (via mail, online, telephone, or in-person, depending on 
respondent preference) and qualitative, in-depth interviews (IDIs) (via 
telephone). It also incorporates the views of persons who will likely 
help persons with LEP navigate and understand health protection 
information during an infectious disease emergency: Family, physicians, 
and staff at community-based organizations and local public health 
agencies. IDIs will be conducted with each group (via telephone).
    CDC is requesting a two-year approval for this information 
collection. The total annualized burden hour estimate is 369 burden 
hours. There is no cost to respondents other than their time.

                                        Estimated Annualized Burden Hours
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                                                                                      Average
                                                     Number of       Number of      burden per     Total burden
      Type of respondents           Form name       respondents    responses per   response  (in    (in hours)
                                                                    respondent        hours)
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Persons with LEP..............  Persons with                 637               1           20/60             212
                                 LEP--Survey.
Persons with LEP..............  Persons with                  44               1               1              44
                                 LEP--IDIs.
Family members................  Family members--              44               1               1              44
                                 IDIs.
Physicians....................  Physicians--IDIs              33               1               1              33
CBO staff.....................  CBO staff--IDIs.              18               1               1              18
LPHA staff....................  LPHA staff--IDIs              18               1               1              18
                                                 ---------------------------------------------------------------
    Total.....................  ................  ..............  ..............  ..............             369
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Jeffery M. Zirger,
Lead, Information Collection Review Office, Office of Scientific 
Integrity, Office of Science, Centers for Disease Control and 
Prevention.
[FR Doc. 2020-01050 Filed 1-22-20; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4163-18-P