[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 199 (Monday, October 15, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 62514-62515]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-25259]
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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Announcement of Solicitation of Written Comments on Modifications
of Healthy People 2020 Objectives
AGENCY: Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the
Secretary, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health, Office of
Disease Prevention and Health Promotion.
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)
solicits written comments regarding new objectives proposed to be added
to Healthy People 2020 since its launch in December 2010 and written
comments proposing new objectives to be included within existing
Healthy People 2020 Topic Areas. Public participation helps shape
Healthy People 2020, its framework, objectives, organization, and
targets. Healthy People 2020 will provide opportunities for public
input periodically throughout the decade to ensure Healthy People 2020
reflects current public health priorities and public input. The updated
set of Healthy People 2020 objectives will be incorporated on
www.healthypeople.gov. This set will reflect further review and
deliberation by the Topic Area workgroups, Federal Interagency
Workgroup on Healthy People 2020, and other Healthy People 2020
stakeholders.
DATES: Written comments will be accepted until 5:00 p.m. ET on November
5, 2012.
ADDRESSES: Written comments will be accepted via an online public
comment database at http://healthypeople.gov/2020/about/publicComment.aspx; by mail at Office of Disease Prevention and Health
Promotion, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Attn: Public
Comment 1101 Wootton Parkway, Room LL-100, Rockville, MD 20852; fax--
240-453-8281; or [email protected].
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Theresa Devine, MPH, Office of Disease
Prevention and Health Promotion, U.S. Department of Health and Human
Services, 1101 Wootton Parkway, Room LL-100, Rockville, MD 20852,
[email protected] (email), 240-453-6112 (telephone), 240-453-8281
(fax).
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: For three decades, Healthy People has
provided a comprehensive set of national 10-year health promotion and
disease prevention objectives aimed at improving the health of all
Americans. Healthy People 2020 objectives provide a framework by
presenting a comprehensive picture of the nation's health at the
beginning of the decade, establishing national goals and targets to be
achieved by the year 2020, and monitoring progress over time. The U.S.
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is soliciting the
submission of written comments regarding new objectives proposed to be
added to Healthy People 2020 since its launch in December 2010.
Healthy People 2020 is the product of an extensive collaborative
process that relies on input from a diverse array of individuals and
organizations, both within and outside the federal government, with a
common interest in improving the nation's health. Public comments were
a cornerstone of Healthy People 2020's development. During the first
phase of planning for Healthy People 2020, HHS asked for the public's
comments on the vision, mission, and implementation of Healthy People
2020. Those comments helped set the framework for Healthy People 2020.
The public was also invited to submit comments on proposed Healthy
People 2020 objectives, which helped shape the final set of Healthy
People 2020 objectives.
The public is now invited to comment on new objectives proposed to
be added to Healthy People 2020. These new objectives were developed by
Topic Area workgroups led by various agencies within the federal
government. They have been reviewed by a Federal Interagency Workgroup
on Healthy People 2020 and are presented now for the public's review
and comment. The public is also invited to suggest additional
objectives for consideration that address critical public health issues
within existing Healthy People 2020 Topic Areas. All proposed new
objectives must meet all of the objective selection criteria (see
below).
Written comments will be accepted at http://healthypeople.gov/2020/about/publicComment.aspx during a three-week public comment period
beginning in October 2012. The public will also be able to submit
written comments via mail, fax, and email (see contact information
above). Comments received in response to this notice will be reviewed
and considered by the Topic Area workgroups, Federal Interagency
Workgroup on Healthy People 2020, and other Healthy People 2020
stakeholders.
Objective Selection Criteria
The following nine criteria should be taken into consideration when
commenting on the proposed or suggesting additional objectives.
1. The result to be achieved should be important and understandable
to a broad audience and support the Healthy People 2020 goals.
2. Objectives should be prevention oriented and/or should address
health improvements that can be achieved through population-based and
individual actions, and systems-based, environmental, health-service,
or policy interventions.
3. Objectives should drive actions that will work toward the
achievement of the proposed targets (defined as quantitative values to
be achieved by the year 2020).
4. Objectives should be useful and reflect issues of national
importance. Federal agencies, states, localities, non-governmental
organizations, and the public and private sectors should be able to use
objectives to target efforts in schools, communities, work sites,
health practices, and other environments.
5. Objectives should be measurable and should address a range of
issues, such as: Behavior and health outcomes; availability of, access
to, and content of behavioral and health service interventions; socio-
environmental conditions; and community capacity--directed toward
improving health outcomes and quality of life across the life span.
(Community capacity is defined as the ability of a community to plan,
implement, and evaluate health strategies.)
6. Continuity and comparability of measured phenomena from year to
year are important, thus, when appropriate, retention of objectives
from previous Healthy People iterations is encouraged. However, in
instances where objectives and/or measures have proven illsuited
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to the purpose or are inadequate, new improved objectives and/or new
measures should be developed. Whether or not an objective has met its
target in a previous Healthy People iteration should not be the sole
basis for retaining or deleting an objective.
7. The objectives should be supported by the best available
scientific evidence. The objective selection and review processes
should be flexible enough to allow revisions to objectives in order to
reflect major updates or new knowledge.
8. Objectives should address population disparities. These include
populations categorized by race/ethnicity, socioeconomic status,
gender, disability status, sexual orientation, and geographic location.
For particular health issues, additional special populations should be
addressed, based on an examination of the available evidence on
vulnerability, health status, and disparate care.
9. Healthy People 2020, like past versions, will be heavily data
driven. Valid, reliable, nationally representative data and data
systems should be used for Healthy People 2020 objectives. Each
objective will have (1) a data source, or potential data source,
identified, (2) baseline data and (3) assurance of at least one
additional data point throughout the decade.
Dated: October 1, 2012.
Don Wright,
Deputy Assistant Secretary for Health, Office of Disease Prevention and
Health Promotion.
[FR Doc. 2012-25259 Filed 10-12-12; 8:45 am]
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