Supporting Statement Part A

Supporting Statement A

Customer Surveys Generic Clearance

for the

National Center for Health Statistics

Generic IC:

Health Data User Survey – 2023

OMB No. 0920-0729
Exp. Date 02/28/2026

Contact Information

Ryne Paulose

Office of the Director

National Center for Health Statistics

3311 Toledo Rd

Hyattsville MD 20782

301-458-4484

[email protected]

April 26, 2023

Table of Contents

1. Circumstances Making the Collection of Information Necessary 3

2. Purpose and Use of the Information Collection 3

3. Use of Improved Information Technology and Burden Reduction 3

4. Efforts to Identify Duplication and Use of Similar Information 4

5. Impact on Small Businesses or Other Small Entities 4

6. Consequences of Collecting the Information Less Frequently 4

7. Specific Circumstances Relating to the Guidelines of 5 CFR 1320.5 4

8. Comments in Response to the Federal Register Notice and Efforts to Consult Outside the Agency 4

9. Explanation of Any Payment or Gift to Respondents 4

10. Protection of the Privacy and Confidentiality of Information Provided by Respondents …...4

11. Institutional Review Board (IRB) and Justification for Sensitive Questions 5

12. Estimates of Annualized Burden Hours and Costs 5

13. Estimates of Other Total Annual Cost Burden to Respondents and Record Keepers ………..6

14. Annualized Cost to the Federal Government …………………………………………………6

15. Explanation for Program Changes or Adjustments 6

16. Plans for Tabulation and Publication and Project Time Schedule 6

17. Reason(s) Display of OMB Expiration Date is Inappropriate ……………………………..…6

18. Exceptions to Certification for Paperwork Reduction Act Submission …………………..….6

Attachment

Attachment A. Health Data User Survey

A. Justification

1. Circumstances Making the Collection of Information Necessary

The National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) received OMB approval for Customer Surveys Generic Clearance (OMB No. 0920-0729, Exp. Date 02/28/2026) 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 generic IC review of proposals for data collections and OMB will generally review such requests within ten business days.

The specific generic IC project for this clearance is:

• To conduct a Health Data User Survey targeted to current and potential users of NCHS products and services (Attachment A)

The Health Data User Survey expands on the NCHS Website User Survey and the NCHS Power User Survey to characterize current and new users of NCHS products and services. It will also contribute to NCHS’ response to the OMB Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA) initiative and efforts to evaluate our program’s effectiveness in achieving long-term performance goals.

2. Purpose and Use of Information Collection

NCHS places the highest priority on providing quality products and services to its customers. The NCHS Website User Survey provides valuable information to understand persons who access the NCHS website for its products and services. The NCHS Power User Survey helps to provide a focused understanding of about a dozen federal users to access NCHS products and services. The new Health Data User Survey will expand our understanding of current and potential users of NCHS products and services—going beyond solely website users to reach the wide range of existing and potential user audiences for NCHS services and products. 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 management in program planning. This data collection supports larger CDC efforts to increase customer-centric services and products and is consistent with the aims of CDC Moving Forward.

This survey is new in 2023 but has been informed by the NCHS Website User and Power User Surveys, conducted in prior years. This data collection is in addition to existing efforts and will allow NCHS to elicit feedback and input that is not currently available from the target audiences (internal and external, potentially new and existing users).

Results from the Health Data User Survey will be made available for the OMB Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA) initiative and efforts to evaluate NCHS’ program effectiveness in achieving long-term performance goals.

3. Use of Improved Information Technology and Burden Reduction

The Health Data User Survey will employ web-based survey technologies to collect and analyze data. 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 NCHS the quickest means for making improvements based on customer feedback.

4. Efforts to Identify Duplication and Use of Similar Information

There are limited data available on current and potential users of NCHS products and services. No NCHS survey currently targets current and potential users of NCHS data to examine use of NCHS products obtained via the NCHS website as well as other venues (e.g., CDC Wonder, Research Data Centers, federal agreements). Existing complimentary data collections are important and useful but they do not provide sufficient information to help NCHS make critical decisions about the type, format, and desired products and services for new user audiences. The goal of the NCHS Web User Survey is to examine website access of NCHS products and services. Therefore, it only targets persons who use the NCHS website. The goal of the NCHS Power User Survey is to obtain focused information from about a dozen federal users of NCHS data.

5. Impact on Small Businesses or Other Small Entities

In as much as a few small businesses may be included in the audience for this survey, they should not be adversely affected by the survey. The number of questions will be held to the absolute minimum for the intended use of these data. Form design and the electronic data collection methodology will further minimize respondent burden.

6. Consequences of Collecting the Information Less Frequently

These surveys are appropriate vehicles to examine public perception of NCHS' ability to respond in a timely manner 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 updated at selected intervals based upon any new information. There are no legal obstacles to reduce the burden.

7. Special Circumstances Relating to the Guidelines of 5 CFR 1320.5

This request fully complies with the regulations 5CFR 1320.5.

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

1. Federal Register Notice

The 60-day notice for the ICR was published in the Federal Register on September 23, 2022, Vol. 87, No. 184, page 58091. No additional comment period is required.

2. Consultation

Only internal consultation will be 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. Protection of the Privacy and Confidentiality of Information Provided by Respondents

This data collection does not collect PII.  The survey does ask the respondent to identify broad occupation categories and type of organization. Most questions are on use of NCHS products and services and preferences in receiving/accessing health data.

This information does not need to be covered under CIPSEA or the Privacy Act.

11. Institutional Review Board (IRB) and Justification for Sensitivity Questions

The NCHS IRB has determined that customer satisfaction surveys do not require their review and approval.

There are no sensitive questions.

12. Estimates of Annualized Burden Hours and Costs

The Health Data User Survey will be circulated to federal and non-federal new and existing NCHS data users. Using networks, listservs, and targeted outreach to individuals known to NCHS, the survey will be circulated broadly across academic, non-profit, public health related membership organizations, as well as other public and private organizations to maximize the reach of the survey to potential new data users. The federal respondents are not included in the burden estimate below as they are not subject to OMB review and approval.

The voluntary survey will run for a period of 1 month and may continue longer if response targets have not been met. Response targets for 1) new users and 2) existing users are approximately 50% of each user type.

Based on previous information, there are an estimated 3,000,000 “hits” to the NCHS website over a 3-month period. However, given the participant selection criteria and that the vast majority selected do not participate in a web survey (based on past website user surveys), the expected percent to complete the survey is less than 10 percent. We are asking for approval to collect up to 750 responses. The average burden to complete the survey is 5 minutes for a total burden of 63 hours a year.

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)
Current and new users of NCHS products and services	Survey of users of NCHS products	750	1	5/60	63
Total	63

Annualized Cost to Respondents

The hourly wage rate of $28.01 is based on income from the wages and salary table from the Bureau of Labor Statistics: http://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes_nat.htm#00-0000 (last accessed 12/07/2022). This wage rate for the category “all occupations” was used since respondents do not fall into a single economic or occupational category. Consequently, the total estimated cost to respondents is $1,765.

Table 2. Estimate of Annualized Burden Costs

Type of Respondent	Form Name	Total Response Burden (in hours)	Average Hourly Wage	Total Burden Cost
Current and new users of NCHS products and services	Survey of users of NCHS products	63	$28.01	$1,765
Total	$1,765

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 data from the survey will require 40 hours a year for a GS-13, Step 1 employee and 80 hours of a GS-12, Step 1 employee. Based on the FY23 base pay schedule for GS-13, Step 1 of $40.51 and GS-12, Step 1 of $34.07 the cost to NCHS is about $4,346.

15. Explanation for Program Changes or Adjustments

This is 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 NCHS planning activities. The information is for internal use only. Summary data may be provided to OMB and DHHS; however, no publications are planned. The Health Data User Survey will commence in the Summer 2023 and results will be available for the OMB Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA) initiative (due in December of each year). This will inform efforts to evaluate NCHS’ program effectiveness in achieving long-term performance goals and creating a customer-centric experience for data and product users.

17. Reason(s) Display of OMB Expiration Date is Inappropriate

Display of OMB expiration date is appropriate.

18. Exceptions to Certification for Paperwork Reduction Act Submissions

There are no exceptions to the certification.

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