Agency Father Generic Information Collection Request; 60-Day Public Comment Request

AGENCY:

Office of the Secretary, HHS.

ACTION:

60-Day notice of public information collections.

SUMMARY:

In compliance with the requirement of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the Office of the Secretary (OS), Department of Health and Human Services, is publishing the following summary of a proposed collection for public comment.

DATES:

Comments on the ICR must be received on or before November 15, 2021.

ADDRESSES:

Submit your comments to Sherrette.Funn@hhs.gov or by calling (202) 795-7714.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

When submitting comments or requesting information, please include the document identifier 0990-New-60D, and project title for reference, to Sherrette Funn, the Reports Clearance Officer, Sherrette.funn@hhs.gov, or call 202-795-7714.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Interested persons are invited to send comments regarding this burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of information, including any of the following subjects: (1) The necessity and utility of the proposed information collection for the proper performance of the agency's functions; (2) the accuracy of the estimated burden; (3) ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and (4) the use of automated collection techniques or other forms of information technology to minimize the information collection burden.

Title of the Collection: Evaluation of the National Hypertension Control Initiative (NHCI).

Type of Collection: (New) Father Generic.

OMB No.: 0990-NEW—OS/Office of Minority Health (OMH).

Abstract: As part of the federal response to COVID-19, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has funded a new initiative involving two cooperative agreements with the American Heart Association (AHA) to improve COVID-19-related health outcomes by addressing hypertension (high blood pressure) among racial and ethnic minority populations. The $32 million project from the HHS Office of Minority Health (OMH) and the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) Bureau of Primary Health Care will support the implementation of the National Hypertension Control Initiative (NHCI), a national initiative to improve blood pressure control among the most at-risk populations, including racial and ethnic minorities.

The NHCI will support 350 participating HRSA-funded health centers by providing patient and provider education and training for effective hypertension control as well as integration of remote blood pressure monitoring technology into the treatment of hypertension for patients served by participating health centers. The project will also utilize the American Heart Association's targeted media campaigns and existing partnerships with community-based organizations (CBOs) to help reach Black, Latino, and other impacted communities with (i) culturally and linguistically appropriate messages, (ii) access to blood pressure screenings, and (iii) connection to health centers to encourage proper treatment and management of hypertension of screened individuals. This initiative serves to increase the number of adult patients with controlled hypertension and reduce the potential risk of COVID-related health outcomes.

AHA aims to conduct an evaluation to assess the feasibility of the implementation of each of the three NHCI strategies. The findings of this evaluation will inform the improvement and tailoring of AHA's communication approaches about the importance of and techniques for improving blood pressure control, including the benefits of accurately measuring, rapidly acting, and having a patient-focused approach to blood pressure control.

Methodology

The evaluation of the NHCI project will use a mixed methods design, integrating both quantitative and qualitative data collection and analyses. Three main goals of data collection will be to: (1) Track and monitor systems change implementation process information from Community Health Centers (CHCs) on a quarterly basis, (2) assess the capacity of NHCI partners to implement the NHCI project, their needs, the strengths and weaknesses of the systems change approach, and the feasibility of the implementation of the NHCI in their organizations and communities, and (3) assess the reach and success of NHCI project strategies implemented by partners.