[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 199 (Thursday, October 15, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 62077-62078]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-26244]
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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERIVCES
Announcement of Solicitation of Written Comments on Modifications
of Healthy People 2020 Objectives
AGENCY: Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Office of
the Assistant Secretary for Health, Office of the Secretary, Department
of Health and Human Services.
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services solicits
written comments regarding new objectives proposed to be added to
Healthy People 2020 since the fall 2014 public comment period, as well
as 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 that 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
16, 2015.
ADDRESSES: Written comments will be accepted via an online public
comment database at http://www.healthypeople.gov/2020/about/history-development/Public-Comment; by mail at the 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: Caitie Blood, 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) 453-8265 (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 is soliciting the submission of
written comments regarding new objectives proposed to be added to
Healthy People 2020 since the fall 2014 public comment period.
[[Page 62078]]
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 the 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. Any proposed new
objective must meet all of the objective selection criteria (see
below).
Written comments will be accepted at http://www.healthypeople.gov/2020/about/history-development/Public-Comment during a 30-day public
comment period beginning in October 2015. 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 appropriate topic area workgroup,
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 new objectives 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 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 ill-suited to
the purpose or are inadequate, new improved objectives 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
archiving 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, is heavily data driven.
Valid, reliable, nationally representative data and data systems should
be used for Healthy People 2020 objectives. Each objective must 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 9, 2015.
Don Wright,
Deputy Assistant Secretary for Health, Office of Disease Prevention and
Health Promotion.
[FR Doc. 2015-26244 Filed 10-14-15; 8:45 am]
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