Supporting Statement B _2-6-2019

SUPPORTING STATEMENT B

APPLICATION FOR TRAINING

OMB Control No. 0920-0017

Submitted October 24, 2018

Project Officer

Gabrielle Benenson, MPH

Chief, Education and Training Services Branch

Division of Scientific Education and Professional Development (DSEPD)

Center for Surveillance, Epidemiology and Laboratory Services (CSELS)

Office of Public Health Scientific Services (OPHSS)

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

1600 Clifton Road Northeast, Mailstop V24-5

Phone: 404-498-6455

Fax: 404-498-6045

Email: [email protected]

Contents

1. Respondent Universe and Sampling Methods 3

2. Procedures for the Collection of Information 3

3. Methods to Maximize Response Rates and Deal with No Response 3

4. Tests of Procedures or Methods to be Undertaken 4

5. Individuals Consulted on Statistical Aspects and Individuals Collecting and/or Analyzing Data 4

1. Respondent Universe and Sampling Methods

The respondent universe consists of CDC and CDC-funded partner organizations (educational developers) that develop and submit educational activities to apply for accreditation and health professionals (learners) who may be employees of hospitals, universities, medical centers, laboratories, state and federal agencies, or state and local health departments and apply for accredited educational activities to earn the continuing education (CE) they need to maintain professional licensures and certifications as stated in this information collection request (ICR) for revision. Respondents voluntarily populate their required information in data fields using a secure web-based format. No sampling methods will be used.

2. Procedures for the Collection of Information

In the currently approved TCEO Proposal (Attachment 3), course developers are required to submit their educational activities one time for each application for continuing education accreditation using the secure, web-based platform. Once in the system and approved for accreditation, the educational activity is added to TCEO for public health professionals to earn continuing education. No interviews or surveys are used to collect this information.

In the currently approved TCEO New Participant Registration (Attachment 4), each new participant voluntarily creates an account including a login and password using the secure, web-based platform so that they may take as many educational activities as necessary to earn continuing education to maintain professional licensure and certifications. Each time they go into TCEO, they only need to use their login and password to take an educational activity, although they have the ability to update their profile in TCEO whenever they are in the system.

In the proposed revision, the TCEO Post-course Evaluation (Attachment 5) must be taken by health professionals who are registered as participants in TCEO and have completed an educational activity to receive continuing education. Information gathered in the evaluation is required by accrediting organizations.

In the proposed revision, the participant must complete the educational activity, complete the Post-course Evaluation, and pass the post-test. All participants of a given educational activity who do this, earn CE and will receive a request to complete the Follow-up Evaluation.

3. Methods to Maximize Response Rates and Deal with No Response

Response rates for all four TCEO tools are dependent upon interest of educational developers to offer accreditation for educational activities and promote their accredited educational activities and the interest of health professionals to seek out opportunities to earn CE to maintain professional licensures and certifications. Because continuing education is often offered for cost by other accredited providers, the availability of free CE from CDC brings health professionals to TCEO. Several tools are used to help maximize response rates and deal with no response. If participants encounter technical difficulties or challenges with the tools they can refer to FAQs or contact a helpdesk for support. Accredited educational activities have an expiration date and a registered participant must complete the Post-course Evaluation prior to the expiration date in order to earn CE. A reminder email is automatically generated to all registered learners for a particular educational activity, notifying them one week before the expiration date.

Since 2016, CDC has intensified marketing of CDC educational activities through the CDC Learning Connection website, social media, and electronic newsletters. CDC intends to continue promoting efforts for CDC accredited educational activities and to encourage users who have received CE to take the TCEO Follow-up Evaluation by sending reminder emails.

4. Tests of Procedures or Methods to be Undertaken

The TCEO Proposal asks for information that is required by accreditation organizations to determine whether a particular training meets accreditation requirements. The TCEO New Participant Registration has been in use by public health and healthcare professionals in need of continuing education for approximately 18 years. CDC has successfully tracked and reported data collected during that time. Additional questions were added to the TCEO New Participant Registration based on feedback from users and new requirements from accrediting organizations. Pilot testing of the TCEO New Participant Registration (which had additional questions) with fewer than 9 representative respondents did not reveal any changes to time burden and increased usability. Pilot testing of the TCEO Post-Course Evaluation and the TCEO Follow-up Evaluation with fewer than 9 representative respondents did not reveal any problems associated with completion of these two information collection tools. The pilot tests of the TCEO New Participant Registration, the TCEO Post-Course Evaluation, and the TCEO Follow-up Evaluation provided the estimates for the burden tables in Section 12.

5. Individuals Consulted on Statistical Aspects and Individuals Collecting and/or Analyzing Data

No statistical methods are used to analyze the data collected on the TCEO Proposal, the TCEO New Participant Registration, the TCEO Post-Course Evaluation, or the TCEO Follow-up Evaluation. The following CDC staff and contractors were consulted for the responsibilities indicated:

Courtney Lee, 404-498-6485, [email protected]: data design and analysis (accreditation and Compliance)

Melissa Locket, 404-498-6393, [email protected]: data design, collection, and analysis (TCEO)

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Application for Training OMB No. 0920-0017

Supporting Statement B 4