National Syringe Services Program Evaluation
OMB Control Number: 0920-1359
Expiration date: 12/31/2024
Supporting Statement B
Revision
September 27, 2023
Talia Pindyck, MD, MPH
Division of Viral Hepatitis (DVH)
National Center for HIV, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
1600 Clifton Road NE
MS H24-6
Atlanta, GA 30329
404.718.6809
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Section B Justification
Respondent Universe and Sampling Methods
Procedures for the Collection of Information
Methods to Maximize Response Rates and Deal with Non-response
Tests of Procedures or Methods to be Undertaken
Individuals Consulted on Statistical Aspects and Individuals Collecting and/or Analyzing Data
Justification
The primary purpose of the National Survey of Syringe Services Programs (NSSSP) (OMB#0920-1359 Exp. 12/31/2024) is to administer a national program survey to assess and monitor SSP operational characteristics and services, funding resources, community relations, and key operational successes and challenges.
Respondent Universe and Sampling Methods
The project will include SSPs identified from a publicly available directory of SSPs in the United States, its territories and Tribal Nations, created and maintained by the North American Syringe Exchange Network (NASEN; https://nasen.org). The project will also include SSPs in NASEN’s directory that do not wish to be publicly listed but have agreed to be contacted for research purposes; SSPs belonging to NASEN’s buyers’ club that are not part of the directory; SSPs that are in NASEN’s directory that are not part of NASEN's Buyers Club, but are known to NASEN; SSPs that have responded to prior RTI Arnold Ventures Surveys of SSPs that are not part of NASEN’s datasets; and other SSPs proactively identified through searching state health department websites, funding agencies, state and regional networks, regional conferences, partner organization networks or webinars and via social media. SSPs will be contacted and invited to complete the NSSSP. Currently, there are 543 SSPs in the NASEN directory representing over 402 cities and 47 states and territories (including the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands); however we project approximately 1000 SSPs in the next couple of years. The most updated NASEN dataset of SSPs at the time of project start up, will serve as the NASEN dataset universe. The entire respondent universe will be surveyed to enable a broad understanding of current SSP service coverage across the United States, which could not be achieved by surveying a sample of SSPs.
Program directors or designated staff of SSPs in the United States will be contacted to complete a survey about their program.
NASEN will send a letter of invitation by email which provides a description of the survey and instructions for completing the survey. The two options for completing the survey include:
1. The SSP can enter responses to survey questions via a secure, web-based application (e.g. REDCap), for which a survey link will be provided.
2. The SSP can provide responses to survey questions via phone or videoconferencing, using a scheduling link provided to coordinate date and time with a project interviewer.
Program directors will have approximately 6 months to complete the survey, and those who do not complete the survey via the options provided will receive two to three follow-up reminders to complete the survey. A final reminder will be sent at the end of the data collection period. At this time, those who do not want to participate in this survey will be invited to complete one question about why they do not want to participate.
2. Procedures for the Collection of Information
A program director or staff person designated by the SSP will complete a 35-minute survey called the National Survey of Syringe Services Programs (NSSSP) via the options described above. A web-based application like REDCap that allows both self-administered and interviewer-administered survey data collection will be used for all data entry and storage. The survey will be administered over the course of approximately 6 months and will be administered annually up to three years.
No direct participant-level identifiers will be collected via the survey (e.g., name, social security number). The main data collection components include basic aggregate program operational characteristics, service delivery, funding resources, community relations, and operational successes and challenges. Respondents may refuse to answer questions or stop participation at any time without penalty.
SSPs will receive $125 to encourage participation and increase response rates.
Quality Control
Data quality will be ensured through project staff training and regular, close monitoring of all operations, data collection, and data entry. The web-based application like REDCap will further improve data quality in several ways:
Interviewer errors are reduced because interviewers do not have to follow complex routing instructions; the computer does the routing or skip patterns for them.
Respondent errors are also reduced. Consistency checks are programmed into the survey so that inconsistent answers or out-of-range values can be corrected or explained while the survey is in progress.
The use of a web-based application can also reduce coding and coding errors, which makes it possible to prepare the data for analysis faster and with fewer errors.
Data entered into the web-based application will be transmitted directly to a secure server. The award recipient will conduct frequent data quality checks and make adjustments as needed. The survey will include built-in logic checks for key variables. At the conclusion of data collection, the award recipient will clean the full dataset and send a finalized database to CDC.
3. Methods to Maximize Response Rates and Minimize Non-response
SSPs will receive an initial invitation to the National Survey of Syringe Services Programs via automated email from NHRC, NASEN and RTI through REDCap. The email will include a brief description of the survey, a link to a PDF of frequently asked questions (FAQs), a unique link to the survey, and a link to a PDF version of the survey. SSPs will be encouraged to fill out the survey using the unique link, but will also be offered the option to complete the survey via interviewer-administration via phone or video conferencing. SSPs that do not respond to the survey will be sent follow-up reminders during the data collection period. Response rates will be monitored through conference calls on a bi-weekly basis by award recipient and CDC, offering the opportunity to share strategies for improving response rates. A token of appreciation of $125 will be provided to SSPs for completing the National Survey of Syringe Services Programs.
Characteristics of non-responding SSPs, such as geographic region, will be monitored and compared with those of responders to determine potential data gaps. The goal is to achieve at least an 80% response rate based on a survey of SSPs conducted in 2013 that used phone and mail responses and achieved a 75% response rate. The addition of an online response method (i.e. REDCap) is intended to make survey response easier and thus potentially increase response rates.
4. Tests of Procedures or Methods to be Undertaken
The National Survey of Syringe Services Programs will focus on methods that are feasible and practical, while ensuring that the approach is scientifically sound. Prior to implementation, CDC and award recipient staff will test the skip patterns and responses of the data collection instruments to ensure a streamlined data collection instrument that produces valid and reliable data. In addition, the methods and procedures have been informed by previous administration of the NSSPE (OMB-PRA: 0920-135).
5. Individuals Consulted on Statistical Aspects and Individuals Collecting and/or Analyzing Data
Individual Consultant on Statistical Aspects
The following individuals consulted on statistical aspects:
Allison Ertl
Epidemiologist, Data Analysis and Management
Email: [email protected]
Individuals Collecting and/or Analyzing Data
The award recipient, staff at RTI, International and their partners, will be responsible for leading the implementation of the survey with SSPs, monitoring data collection, managing incoming data, and analyzing the data.
RTI, International Project Staff and Partners
All award recipient project staff and partners can be reached at the following address:
Research Triangle Institute
3040 Cornwallis Rd
Research Triangle Park, NC 27709
Barrot Lambdin, PhD, MPH
Principal Investigator
Sheila Patel, PhD
Co-Investigator
Lynn Wenger, MPH, MSW
Survey Implementation lead
Erica Browne, MS
Data Analytics Lead
Jamie Humphrey, PhD, MPH
Data Visualization Lead
Jessica Smith
Communications Lead
Ivette Rodriguez Borja, BA
Project Coordinator
Abigail Rinderle, MPH
Survey implementation team
Erin Erickson, BA
Survey implementation team
Kathryn Greenwell
Survey implementation team
Heluna Health (RTI Contractor)
Terry Morris, BA
Survey implementation team
Brandon Shih, MPH
Data visualization team
McKinley Saunders, BS
Data analytics team
Claire Strack, BS
Data analytics team
Alex Kral, PhD, MS
Scientific Advisor
University of Southern California
Ricky Bluthenthal, PhD
Scientific Advisor
Institute for Health Promotion & Disease Prevention
SSB 302R 2001 N. Soto Street
Health Sciences Campus
Los Angeles, CA 90032
University of Miami
Hansel E. Tookes, III, MD, MPH
Scientific Advisor
Don Soffer Clinical Research Center 860
1120 NW 14th St
Miami, FL 33136
University of Washington
Sara Glick, PhD, MPH
Scientific Advisor
Harborview Medical Center
325 9th Ave
Box 359777
Seattle, WA 98104
New York University
Don Des Jarlais, PhD
Co-Investigator
College of Global Public Health
New York University
665 Broadway, 8th Floor
New York, NY 10003
212-992-3728
NASEN
All NASEN project staff can be reached at the following address:
NASEN/TNE
535 Dock Street
Suite 113
Tacoma, WA 98402
Paul LaKosky, PhD
Executive Director
253-272-4857
Stephanie Prohaska
Operations Assistant
National Harm Reduction Coalition
Emma Roberts
Partner
243 5th Ave
#529
New York, NY 10016
CDC Project Staff
All CDC project staff can be reached at the following address and phone number:
Prevention Branch
Division of Viral Hepatitis
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
1600 Clifton Rd, NE MS US12-3
Atlanta, GA 30329
Phone: (404) 718-6809
Talia Pindyck, MD, MPH
Medical Epidemiologist
Email: [email protected]
Aleta Christensen
Health Scientist
Email: yno7@cdc.gov
Renee Brocker
Email: [email protected]
Ryan Drab, MPH
Email: tvg2@cdc.gov
Monica Adams, PhD, MPH
Email: ydy7@cdc.gov
Allison Ertl, PhD, MS
Epidemiologist
Email: [email protected]
| File Type | application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.wordprocessingml.document |
| File Title | Request for OMB Review and Extension |
| Author | ftn6 |
| File Modified | 0000-00-00 |
| File Created | 2023-10-17 |