NCHS gen cus 2012 supst A gen IC 081012

Supporting Statement A

Customer Surveys Generic Clearance

for the

National Center for Health Statistics

GenIC:

Customer Satisfaction Survey for the Research Data Center

OMB No. 0920-0729
(Expires April 30, 2014)

Contact Information

Tabatha McNeill

Research Data Center

Office of Research Methodology

National Center for Health Statistics

3311 Toledo Rd

Hyattsville MD 20782

301-458-4089

[email protected]

8/10/2012

A. Justification

1. Circumstances Making the Collection of Information Necessary

On April 21^st 2011, the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) received OMB approval for Customer Surveys Generic Clearance (OMB No. 0920-0729, expires 04/30/2014) to conduct voluntary surveys to assess strengths in agency products and services and to obtain feedback on the development, implementation, and satisfaction regarding public health services, products, communication campaigns and information.

Under this approval, OMB has agreed to expedite genIC review of proposals for data collections and OMB will generally review such requests within ten business days.

The specific generic GenIC project for this clearance is:

• Conduct Customer Satisfaction Surveys of NCHS Research Data Center (RDC) researchers

The National Center for Health Statistics developed the Research Data Centers (RDC) to allow researchers access to restricted statistical data. Restricted data is more sensitive than data available in the NCHS public-use files. Today, in addition to providing access to NCHS data, the RDC also hosts restricted data from a variety of groups within the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS).  

RDC users are, typically, university trained researchers who are comfortable using SAS or a similar statistical package to analyze standard datasets. Past researchers have been epidemiologists, economists, demographers and health scientists.

The Research Data Center would like to conduct 3 annual Customer Satisfaction Surveys. The web-based survey is designed to capture the researcher’s experiences using the RDC (Attachment A). This is especially important as the RDC plans to implement several new programs over the next three years. The yearly feedback from the researchers will give a little perspective on the effectiveness of these programs. The information will be used by RDC administrative staff to determine if the RDC experience is positive and to identify areas of improvement. The information will also be used in various presentations and reports to demonstrate the researcher’s perspective.

2. Purpose and Use of Information Collection

NCHS places the highest priority on providing quality products and services to its customers. Results from this survey will be used to identify strengths and weaknesses in current products and services and to refine and improve them by implementing modifications that are practical and feasible. Information obtained will guide NCHS RDC management in program planning.

3. Use of Improved Information Technology and Burden Reduction

The survey will employ the newest information technology to collect and analyze data. Using a web-based survey, respondents will submit their responses electronically; and these responses will be tallied electronically and put into a database by survey software. Electronic collection will minimize the burden on survey respondents and facilitate the most rapid processing of survey results. This, in turn, provides RDC the quickest means for making improvements based on customer feedback.

4. Efforts to Identify Duplication and Use of Similar Information

There are no current broad-based data available on customer satisfaction with RDC products and services.

5. Impact on Small Businesses or Other Small Entities

Our relationship with small businesses included in the sampling frame will not be adversely affected by their participation in the customer satisfaction survey. The number of questions will be held to the absolute minimum for the intended use of the data. Form design and the electronic data collection methodology will further minimize respondent burden.

6. Consequences of Collecting the Information Less Frequently

This survey is an appropriate vehicle to examine public perception of RDC’s ability to respond to the needs of its customers. Collection of information routinely and systematically enhances its utility in monitoring customer satisfaction and in identifying problems and needs so as to make changes and improve products and services. The planned survey is expected to be an annual survey. There are no legal obstacles to reduce the burden.

8. Comments in Response to the Federal Register Notice and Efforts to Consult Outside Agency

1. Federal Register Notice

The 60-day notice was published in the Federal Register, Vol. 75, No. 197, October 13, 2010, pp. 62834-35. No public comments were received.

2. Consultation

Only internal consultation was involved in this project.

9. Explanation of Any Payment or Gift to Respondents

This collection of information does not involve any payment or gift to respondents.

10. Assurance of Confidentiality Provided to Respondents

An assurance of confidentiality is provided to all respondents according to section 308 (d) of the Public Health Service Act (42 USC 242m) which states:

"No information, if an establishment or person supplying the information or described in it is identifiable, obtained in the course of activities undertaken or supported under section...306,...may be used for any purpose other than the purpose for which it was supplied unless such establishment or person has consented (as determined under regulations of the Secretary) to its use for such other purpose and (1) in the case of information obtained in the course of health statistical or epidemiological activities under section...306, such information may not be published or released in other form if the particular establishment or person supplying the information or described in it is identifiable unless such establishment or person has consented (as determined under regulations of the Secretary) to its publication or release in other form,..."

Privacy Impact Assessment

The NCHS Human Subject Contact has determined that the Research Data Center Customer Satisfaction Survey does not meet the definition of Human Subjects Research according to 45 CFR 46.102. In turn, it does not require IRB (NCHS ERB) review.

12. Estimates of Annualized Burden Hours and Costs

Website Survey

The RDC will send an email to approximately 600 researchers inviting him/her to participate in an RDC Customer Satisfaction web survey (Attachment A). The link to the survey will be provided in the initial email. The voluntary survey will run for a period of 3 months. The expected percent to complete the survey is approximately 50 percent or 300 respondents for each of three surveys for a total of 900 respondents over the timeframe. The burden to complete the survey is ten minutes for a total burden of 150 hours.

Table 1. Estimate of Annualized Burden Hours

Type of Respondent	Form Name	Number of Respondents	Number of responses/ respondent	Average Burden/ response (in hours)	Response Burden (in hours)
NCHS web-users	Web survey	900	1	10/60	150

13. Estimates of Other Total Annual Cost Burden to Respondents or Record Keepers

There are no additional costs to the respondents. There are no costs other than their time to participate in the voluntary survey.

14. Annualized Cost to the Federal Government

The nominal cost for Survey Monkey is already included in an annual agency fee. It is expected that collecting and analyzing the data from the two types of surveys will cost NCHS about $45,000.

15. Explanation for Program Changes or Adjustments

This is part of a generic IC. There are no program changes or adjustments.

16. Plans for Tabulation and Publication and Project Time Schedule

Data collected will be analyzed to inform RDC planning activities. The information is for internal use only. Summary data may be used in presentations; however no publications are planned.

5