NSSP BioSense Platform User Assessment: Functionality and Utility
OSTLTS Generic Data collection Request
OMB No. 0920-0879
Submitted: April 30, 2019
Program Official/Project Officer
Hussain Yusuf, M.D., M.P.H.
Team Leader, Program Evaluation Team
Partnerships and Evaluation Branch
Division of Health Informatics and Surveillance, CSELS, OPHSS
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
1600 Clifton Rd., N.E., MS-E91, Atlanta, Ga 30333
Phone: Office 404-498-6642; Mobile 470-455-7104; PEB Mainline: 404-498-6460
Email: [email protected]
Section B – Data collection Procedures 3
1. Respondent Universe and Sampling Methods 3
2. Procedures for the Collection of Information 3
3. Methods to Maximize Response Rates Deal with Nonresponse 4
4. Test of Procedures or Methods to be Undertaken 4
5. Individuals Consulted on Statistical Aspects and Individuals Collecting and/or Analyzing Data 4
Data will be collected from 218 respondents, including 117 participants at 41 state public health departments and 101 participants 69 at local public health departments (see Attachment A — Respondent Breakdown). Respondents acting in their official capacities include syndromic surveillance coordinator, surveillance officer, epidemiologist, data analyst, public health program manager, and informatics coordinator. Data will be collected from state and local public health agency officials who are active users of the BioSense Platform. Active users are defined as individuals who are registered to use the BioSense Platform and have logged into the platform at least once in the 60 days preceding March 5, 2019 (the date when the sample of potential participants was generated). Please note that March 5, 2019 was chosen as the date for generating the sample of potential participants as it was the latest practical date at which we can finalize the methodology for the assessment and submit this application for OMB approval. We see no undue bias resulting from this. CDC manages the BioSense Platform’s operations and has access to user distribution list, and the last login date information for users in the context of the platform’s operational maintenance related activities. As of March 5, 2019, there were 218 state and local health agency staff who were active users of the platform; this included 117 staff members situated at 41 state health agencies and 101 staff members situated at 69 local health agencies.
Data will be collected via a web based assessment and respondents will be recruited through a notification email (see Attachment D — Assessment Invitation Email) to the respondent universe. As CDC manages the BioSense Platform’s operations, email addresses of users registered on the platform are already available to CDC. However, after the invitations are sent, we will not know which of the potential participants chose to participate in the assessment; we will only receive the responses provided by the participants.
The notification email will explain:
The purpose of the data collection, and why their participation is important
Instructions for participating
Method to safeguard their responses
That participation is voluntary
The expected time to complete the instrument
Contact information for the project team
The assessment will be open for 10 days; respondents will have the option of completing the assessment over multiple sittings if they so choose. A reminder email (Attachment E – Assessment Reminder Email) will be sent to all potential participants 3 days before the close of the assessment. Respondents will have the options either to copy and save the assessment link and passcode or to enter their email address and receive the assessment link and passcode in an email; using either option the respondent will be able to return to the assessment they began. Please note that an entered email address will not be saved in the system and will only be used to automatically send the respondent a link to access their partially completed assessment; we will not know if the respondent requested the link or the email address the respondent provided. Individual responses to this assessment will not be tracked.
The data that is collected through this assessment will be housed in standard data files which may include Epi Info, MS Excel, and MS Access, and SAS. All information will be kept in secured CDC share drives and will only be accessible to program staff. The data will only be shared in aggregate form.
Analysis of data collected though this assessment will include generation of descriptive statistics, including proportions, means, and associated dispersion metrics for responses to closed-ended questions. Correlational analysis will be conducted to examine selected issues interest (e.g. association between experience level and informational needs). Qualitative analysis of responses to open ended questions will be conducted to identify key themes in the responses. SAS software will be used to conduct quantitative data analysis and MAXQDA will be used for qualitative data analysis.
Although participation in the data collection is voluntary, the project team will make every effort to maximize the rate of response. The data collection instrument was designed with particular focus on streamlining questions to allow for skipping questions based on responses to previous questions, thereby minimizing response burden.
Following the distribution of the invitation to participate in the data collection, (see Attachment D — Assessment Invitation Email), respondents will have 10 business days to complete the instrument. Individual responses to the assessment will not be tracked. Therefore, all potential participants, i.e. those who were sent the invitation email, will receive a reminder email (Attachment E – Assessment Reminder Email) requesting them to complete the instrument if they have not done so.
The estimate for burden hours is based on a pilot test of the data collection instrument by 5 public health professionals. In the pilot test, the average time to complete the instrument including time for reviewing instructions, gathering needed information and completing the instrument, was approximately 14 minutes (range: 8 to 20 minutes). For the purposes of estimating burden hours, the upper limit of this range (i.e., 20 minutes) is used.
Hussain Yusuf
Health Scientist
Partnerships and Evaluation Branch, DHIS, CSELS, OPHSS
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
1600 Clifton Road, N.E., MS E-91
Atlanta, GA 30333
404-498-6642
Hana Tesfamichael
Orise Fellow
Partnerships and Evaluation Branch, DHIS, CSELS, OPHSS
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
1600 Clifton Road, N.E., MS E-91
Atlanta, GA 30333
404-498-6459
Sebastian Romano
Health Scientist
Partnerships and Evaluation Branch, DHIS, CSELS, OPHSS
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
1600 Clifton Road, N.E., MS E-91
Atlanta, GA 30333
404-498-3041
Attachment A — Respondent Breakdown
Attachment D — Assessment Invitation Email
Attachment E — Assessment Reminder Email
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