HMTS Template with Project Overview

Health Message Testing System Expedited Review Form
1. Title of Study: (Please append screener and questionnaire)

A Tailored Communication Campaign to Reduce Pregnancy-Related Complications and Death

2. Study Population: (Discuss study population and explain how they will be selected/recruited.)

The study population will consist of up to 80 participants for 8-10 focus groups (Att 1-5). The majority of
participants (~50) will be pregnant or postpartum women; the remainder will be support system members
of the women (e.g., spouse/partner, doula). Women will be recruited by a research firm via flyers (Att 6).
Respondent characteristics:
Number of subject: 80

Number of males:

0-30

Age range: 25-45 years for women; 18+ years for support
Number
system
of females:
members
50-80

Racial/ethnic composition: A mix of race ethnicities; two of the focus groups will consist solely of black or
Special group status: (e.g., risk group, health care providers)
Type of group(s): Currently pregnant women or women postpartum within the past 2
years and their support system
Geographic location(s): Atlanta, GA

3. Incentives: (State what incentive will be offered and justify proposed incentives to be used in study.)

Participants will receive a $75 cash gift card as a token of appreciation for their time. V&L Research and
Consulting, Inc. has provided similar incentives in the past and determined it was a reasonable amount for
this project given the potential need for coverage of transportation cost, childcare, and/or loss of income
for participants. Providing incentives is necessary in order to ensure adequate participation (Att 1).

4. Study method: (Please check one below)
Central location intercept interview:
Online Interview:
Telephone interview:
Other (describe):

Focus group:
Individual in-depth interview (cognitive interview):

(CATI used: yes or no):

5. Purpose of the overall communication effort into which this health message(s) will fit:
(Please provide 2-3 sentences below.)

This project assesses how women & their support system members perceive messaging intended to reduce
the risk of pregnancy-related complications & death (Att 1). Information will help improve public health
communication efforts by providing information on message attributes most important for acceptance
within the target population of pregnant and postpartum women and their support systems.

6. Category of time sensitivity: (Please check one below)
Health emergency:
Time-limited audience access:
Press coverage correction:
Time-limited congressional/administrative mandate:
Trend Tracking
Ineffective existing materials due to historical event/social trends:
7. Describe nature of time sensitivity: (Please provide 2-3 sentences below.)
Maternal mortality and complications of pregnancy are a CDC and HHS priority with recent
Congressional appropriations. The Division of Reproductive Health is develop and test messaging to
create a consumer campaign for pregnant women and their support system. The contract to develop this
messaging ends in September and the research must be fielded, analyzed, and reported before the end of
the contract.

8. Number of burden hours requested: 245

BURDEN HOURS
No. of
Participation
Respondents Time

Category of Respondent

Burden

Screening

150

2 minutes

5 hours

Focus Groups

80

3 hours

240 hours

Totals

230

9. Are you using questions from the approved question bank?

245 hours

Yes

If yes, please list the item number(s) for questions used from the question bank separated by a comma.
(e.g., 1a, 3c, 130d)
1d, 2d, 6d, 28d, 30d, 33d, 29d, 6e, 5e, 12e, 3d, 39d, 40d, 41d, 51d, 110d, 108d, 115d, 121d, 60d, 61d, 63d,
64d, 65d, 69d, 70d, 71d, 79d, 74d, 75d, 80d, 81d
*** Items below to be completed by Office of Associate Director for Communication (OADC)***
1. Number of burden hours remaining in current year's allocation: 6678
2. OADC confirmation of time-sensitivity:
Yes:
No:

Dawn. B. Griffin
Project Officer
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