[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 164 (Wednesday, August 25, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 52349-52350]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-21159]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

National Institutes of Health


Proposed Collection; Comment Request; NCCAM Office of 
Communications and Public Liaison Communications Program Planning and 
Evaluation Research

SUMMARY: In compliance with the requirement of Section 3506(c)(2)(A) of 
the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, for opportunity for public comment 
on proposed data collection projects, the National Center for 
Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM), at the National 
Institutes of Health (NIH), will publish periodic summaries of proposed 
projects to be submitted to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) 
for review and approval.
    Proposed Collection: Title: NCCAM Office of Communications and 
Public Liaison Communications Program Planning and Evaluation Research. 
Type of Information Collection Request: Extension.
    Need and Use of Information Collection: To carry out NCCAM's 
legislative mandate to educate and disseminate information about 
complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) to a wide variety of 
audiences and organizations, the NCCAM Office of Communications and 
Public Liaison (OCPL) requests clearance to carry out formative 
research of a variety of print and online materials, outreach 
activities, and messages to maximize their impact and usefulness.

[[Page 52350]]

    OCPL wishes to continue to carry out formative research to further 
understand the knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors of its core 
constituent groups: Members of the general public, researchers, and 
providers of both conventional and CAM health care. In addition, it 
seeks to test newly formulated messages and identify barriers and 
impediments to the effective communication of those messages. With this 
formative audience research, OCPL test audience responses to NCCAM's 
fact sheets, Web content, and other materials and messages. This 
research will also include pilot testing of recently developed messages 
and communication products.
    The data collection methods have been selected to minimize burden 
on NCCAM's audiences, produce or refine messages that will influence 
target audience attitudes and behavior in a positive manner, and to use 
Government resources efficiently. Research methods may include 
individual in-depth interviews, focus group interviews, intercept 
interviews, self-administered questionnaires, gatekeeper reviews, and 
omnibus surveys.
    The data will enhance OCPL's understanding of (1) the unique 
information needs and distinct health-information-seeking behaviors of 
its core constituencies, and (2) the special information needs of 
segments within these constituencies. Among the general public these 
distinct segments include cancer patients, the chronically ill, 
minority and ethnic populations, the elderly, users of dietary 
supplements, and patients integrating complementary therapies with 
conventional medical treatments.
    Frequency of Response: On occasion. Affected Public: Individuals 
and households; non-profit institutions; Federal Government; State, 
Local, or Tribal Government. Type of Respondents: Adult patients; 
members of the public; health care professionals; organizational 
representatives. The annual reporting burden is as follows:

                                          Table 1--Annual Burden Hours
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                                                                     Estimated                       Estimated
                                                     Estimated       number of    Average burden   total annual
               Type of respondents                   number of     responses per     hours per     burden hours
                                                    respondents     respondent       response        requested
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
In-depth interviews with general public.........              30               1             .75              23
Focus groups....................................              20               1             1.5              30
Omnibus surveys.................................           1,900               1             .25             475
Intercept interviews with public and healthcare              300               1             .25              75
 professionals..................................
In-depth interviews with health professionals...              50               1             .50              25
Self-administered questionnaires with health                 200               1             .25              50
 professionals..................................
                                                 ---------------------------------------------------------------
    Total.......................................           2,500  ..............  ..............             678
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                                       Table 2--Annual Cost to Respondents
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                                                                        Number of       Hourly      Respondent
                        Type of respondents                               hours         wage*          cost
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
In-depth interviews with general public............................              23          $21            $483
Focus groups.......................................................              30           21             630
Intercept interviews with public...................................              70           21           1,470
Omnibus surveys with public........................................             475           21          10,500
Intercept interviews with healthcare professionals.................               5         **63             315
In-depth interviews with health professionals......................              25           63           1,575
Self-administered questionnaires with health professionals.........              50           63           3,150
                                                                    --------------------------------------------
    Total..........................................................             678  ...........          18,123
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* 2009 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates (http://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes_nat.htm)
** Healthcare professional hourly wage was calculated by averaging the median hourly wage for physicians and
  surgeons ($84) and the median hourly wage for physician assistants, as representatives of the second tier of
  clinical care ($41) to get an average of $63 per hour.

    There are no Capital Costs, Operating Costs, or Maintenance Costs 
to report.
    Request for Comments: Written comments and/or suggestions from the 
public and affected agencies are invited on the following points: (1) 
Whether the proposed collection of information is necessary for the 
proper performance of the function of the agency, including whether the 
information will have practical utility; (2) The accuracy of the 
agency's estimate of the burden of the proposed collection of 
information, including the validity of the methodology and assumption 
used; (3) Ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the 
information to be collected; and (4) Ways to minimize the burden of the 
collection of information on those who are to respond, including the 
use of appropriate automated, electronic, mechanical, or other 
technological collection techniques or other forms of information 
technology.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: To request more information on the 
proposed project or to obtain a copy of the data collection plans and 
instruments, contact Christy Thomsen, Director, Office of 
Communications and Public Liaison, NCCAM, 31 Center Drive, Room 2B11, 
Bethesda, MD 20892, or fax your request to 301-402-4741, or e-mail 
[email protected]. Ms. Thomsen can be contacted by telephone at 
301-451-8876.
    Comments Due Date: Comments regarding this information collection 
are best assured of having their full effect if received within 60 days 
of the date of this publication.

    Dated: August 12, 2010.
Christy Thomsen,
Director, Office of Communications and Public Liaison, National Center 
for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, National Institutes of 
Health.
[FR Doc. 2010-21159 Filed 8-24-10; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4140-01-P