81 FR 69827 - 2018 National Health Interview Survey Questionnaire Redesign

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Federal Register Volume 81, Issue 195 (October 7, 2016)

The National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announces the opening of a docket to obtain public comment on the redesign of the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) questionnaire (OMB Control No. 0920-0214, expires 01/31/2019) Any proposed changes will be submitted in future notices in compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA). The content and structure of the NHIS will be updated in 2018 to improve the measurement of covered health topics, reduce respondent burden by shortening the length of the questionnaire, harmonize overlapping content with other federal health surveys, establish a long-term structure of ongoing and periodic topics, and incorporate advances in survey methodology and measurement.

[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 195 (Friday, October 7, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 69827-69828]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2016-24348]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

[Docket No. CDC-2016-0092]


2018 National Health Interview Survey Questionnaire Redesign

AGENCY: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Department of 
Health and Human Services (HHS).

ACTION: Notice with comment period.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: The National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS), Centers for 
Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in the Department of Health and 
Human Services (HHS) announces the opening of a docket to obtain public 
comment on the redesign of the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) 
questionnaire (OMB Control No. 0920-0214, expires 01/31/2019) Any 
proposed changes will be submitted in future notices in compliance with 
the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA). The content and structure of the 
NHIS will be updated in 2018 to improve the measurement of covered 
health topics, reduce respondent burden by shortening the length of the 
questionnaire, harmonize overlapping content with other federal health 
surveys, establish a long-term structure of ongoing and periodic 
topics, and incorporate advances in survey methodology and measurement.

DATES: Written comments must be received on or before November 7, 2016.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments, identified by Docket No. CDC-2016-
0092 by any of the following methods:
     Federal eRulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov. 
Follow the instructions for submitting comments.
     Mail: Verita C. Buie, Office of Planning, Budget, and 
Legislation, National Center for Health Statistics, Centers for Disease 
Control and Prevention, 3311 Toledo Road, MS-08, Hyattsville, MD 20782.
    Instructions: All submissions received must include the agency name 
and Docket Number. All relevant comments received will be posted 
without change to http://regulations.gov, including any personal 
information provided. For access to the docket to read background 
documents or comments received, go to http://www.regulations.gov.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Marcie Cynamon, Director, of the 
Division of Health Interview Statistics, National Center for Health 
Statistics, 3311 Toledo Road, MS-P08, Hyattsville, MD 20782-2064, 
phone: (301) 458-4174.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The National Center for Health Statistics 
(NCHS) is redesigning the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) to be 
fielded in 2018. The NHIS is the principal source of information on the 
health of the civilian noninstitutionalized population of the United 
States. Established by the National Health Survey Act of 1956, the 
survey has been in the field continuously since July 1957. NHIS data 
are used widely throughout the Department of Health and Human Services 
(HHS) to monitor trends in illness and disability and to track progress 
toward achieving national health objectives. The data are used by HHS 
and the public health research community in determining barriers to 
accessing and using health care services, and in tracking those health 
conditions and behaviors related to the leading causes of morbidity and 
mortality.
    The redesigned NHIS questionnaire and survey structure will be 
introduced in January 2018. The redesign process presents an 
opportunity to (1) ensure the survey is capturing the current health 
and health care needs of individuals in the United States and producing 
data of the highest-possible quality; and (2) reduce respondent burden 
by shortening the overall questionnaire length and harmonizing its 
content with other federal health surveys. The redesign is 
strategically timed to coordinate with the data cycle used to monitor 
Healthy People 2020 objectives, providing a clean transition into the 
next decade of monitoring the nation's critical public health 
indicators. The redesigned questionnaire reflects advances in survey 
methodology and measurement since the last NHIS redesign in 1997. This 
proposal incorporates a long-term structure for the content of the 
survey. There will be content that remains on the survey each year and 
content that will be collected on a rotating basis (collected for one 
or two years, off for one year). The periodicity of rotating content 
will be established several years in advance. Approximately 15 to 20 
minutes of interview time each year will be reserved for sponsored 
content that addresses the data needs of other federal agencies and 
partners.
    The proposed structure of the redesigned NHIS will differ from the 
current structure. Since 1997, the NHIS has consisted of a family 
questionnaire, a sample adult questionnaire, and a sample child 
questionnaire. The new structure will include a sample adult 
questionnaire and a sample child questionnaire only; however, in the 
redesigned NHIS, much of the content from the family section will be 
collected within the sample adult and sample child interviews. To 
complete these questionnaires, one adult aged 18 years and over and one 
child aged 17 years and under (if applicable) will be randomly selected 
from each sampled household. Information about the sample adult will be 
collected from the sample adult himself/herself unless s/he is 
physically or mentally unable to do so, in which case a knowledgeable 
proxy will be allowed to answer for the sample adult. Information about 
the sample child will be collected from a knowledgeable adult who may 
or may not also be the sample adult.
    Content from the family questionnaire that will still be obtained 
from respondents in the redesigned NHIS

[[Page 69828]]

includes questions at the beginning of the interview that will capture 
the age, sex, active duty military status, race, and ethnicity of 
everyone who usually lives or stays in the household. Some content from 
the family questionnaire (e.g., family income, financial burden of 
medical care, housing tenure) will be moved into the two remaining 
questionnaires.
    Public comment on the first draft of these questionnaires will be 
critical as we continue to revise and improve the content and question 
text during the redesign process. The first draft of the questionnaires 
may be found in the docket under Supporting and Related Materials.

    Dated: October 4, 2016.
Sandra Cashman,
Executive Secretary, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
[FR Doc. 2016-24348 Filed 10-6-16; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4163-18-P