Proposed Data Collection Submitted for Public Comment and Recommendations
| Published date | 26 May 2021 |
| Citation | 86 FR 28354 |
| Record Number | 2021-11096 |
| Section | Notices |
| Court | Centers For Disease Control And Prevention |
Federal Register, Volume 86 Issue 100 (Wednesday, May 26, 2021)
[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 100 (Wednesday, May 26, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 28354-28355]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-11096]
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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
[60Day-21-0572; Docket No. CDC-2021-0052]
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, enables programs across CDC to collect the information they
require regarding testing of messages in a timely manner.
DATES: CDC must receive written comments on or before July 26, 2021.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments, identified by Docket No. CDC-2012-
0052 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: 404-639-7118; 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;
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; and
5. Assess information collection costs.
Proposed Project
Health Message Testing System (HMTS) (OMB Control No. 0920-0572, Exp.
8/31/2021)--Extension--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. However, 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 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.
However, 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
[[Page 28355]]
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.
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
be 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 include 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 32 messages have been tested using this
clearance. For example:
CDC Older Adult Injury Prevention Creative Campaign--Survey. This
health communication campaign aimed to support and expand upon CDC's
older adult injury prevention efforts and to raise awareness among
older adults and their caregivers about preventable injuries that
disproportionately impact them, steps to reduce their risk of injuries,
and increase education about risk factors. Information collected can
assist in the most effective use of CDC communication resources and
opportunities by assessing clarity, appeal, persuasiveness and
effectiveness of campaign material and advertisements (e.g., poster or
video advertisement).
The Division of Tuberculosis Elimination (DTBE) obtained OMB
approval through HMTS for Health Communications Testing for Latent
Tuberculosis Infections Campaign for CDC's National Center for HIV/
AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention (NCHHSTP). This formative
information collection will be used to inform NCHHSTP DTBE's future
public service campaign efforts targeted to consumers at high-risk for
LTBI and the providers who serve them. This information collection
activity is essential because it will provide CDC with effective
messages for communicating about this disease and infection to motivate
at-risk consumers to get preventive screening and, if infected,
treatment, and to motivate healthcare providers to encourage testing
and early detection.
The Division of Diabetes Translation (DDT) obtained OMB approval
through HMTS for Message Testing for Diabetes Self-Management Education
and Support (DSMES) Marketing Support: Card Sort Activity. Findings
from this message testing effort were used by DDT to inform how best to
communicate with key audiences about DSMES services. Specifically,
information about which attributes of DSMES services are most important
to each audience will be identified and will serve as the basis for
messages developed to promote DSMES services. This work will help
increase the likelihood that messages will resonate and be understood
as intended.
Over 27,696 respondents were queried and over 6,100 burden hours
used during the previous approval period. Because the availability of
this ICR has been so critical to programs in disseminating their
materials and information to the public in a timely manner, OADC is
requesting a three-year extension of this information collection. CDC
requests OMB approval for an estimated 2,470 annualized burden hours.
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.
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Total..................... ................ .............. .............. .............. 2,470
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Jeffrey M. Zirger,
Lead, Information Collection Review Office, Office of Scientific
Integrity, Office of Science, Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention.
[FR Doc. 2021-11096 Filed 5-25-21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4163-18-P
