DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (DHHS) Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) Request for Information (RFI) No. 2017-RFI-NHANES National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey - NHANES Introduction: This is a Request for Information (RFI) for market research purposes to obtain innovative/ "outside-the-box" ideas on the sample design and the data collection processes for the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). It is not a request for proposal and does not commit the Government to issue a solicitation, make an award, or pay any costs associated with responding to this notice. All responses shall remain with the Government and will not be returned. Any contractor who provides a favorable response may be invited to NCHS for an oral presentation. Response Due Date: 10/09/2017 2:00 PM EST Communication: All correspondence is to be with the Contract Specialist, H. Dale Bish, at hbish@cdc.gov. The Government will accept questions regarding this RFI. All questions will be reviewed and answered as decided by the Government. Please ensure that any e-mail responses have "2017-RFI-NHANES" in the subject line. Any responses received after the specified response due date and time will not necessarily be accepted or acknowledged. Background: The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) is a major program of the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS). NCHS is part of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and has the responsibility for producing vital and health statistics for the Nation. The NHANES is a major national health survey designed to assess the health and nutritional status of people living in the United States. The survey is unique in that it combines interviews and physical examinations. Well-known products of the NHANES survey include the pediatric growth charts and national obesity statistics. The NHANES program began in the early 1960s as a series of surveys focusing on different population groups and health topics. The NHANES surveys were the first to deliver nationally representative health data through both interviews and physical exam measurements. In 1999, the survey became a continuous program. The survey in its current design examines a nationally representative sample of about 10,000 persons over a two-year period from 30 randomly selected primary sampling units (PSUs) across the country. In this design, the PSUs are counties or groups of adjacent counties. Data are collected in household interviews and in federally owned mobile examination centers (MECs). The data collection process is described in: https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/series/sr_01/sr01_056.pdf. The NHANES interview includes demographic, socioeconomic, dietary, and health-related questions. The examination component consists of medical, dental, physiological measurements, as well as laboratory tests based on blood draw and urine collection. Data collected in this survey are used to determine the prevalence of major diseases and risk factors for diseases and to describe trends over time. One of the NHANES' many core strengths is that it provides cross-sectional data that can be used for longitudinal analysis through linkage to other data sources (e.g. CMS). The NHANES sample design is described in: https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/series/sr_02/sr02_162.pdf. More information can be found on the NHANES web site: http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/nhanes.htm as well as the NCHS web site: http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/index.htm. RFI Purpose: The purpose of this RFI is to obtain innovative/"outside-the-box" ideas on the sample design and the data collection process for the NHANES, including ideas on improving data collection efficiency and response rates. The analytic requirements of NHANES are as follows: - All measurements must be collected according to standardized protocols, although not necessarily in mobile examination centers and not necessarily with the existing standardized data collection protocols; - Estimates must be nationally representative by race/ethnicity (non-Hispanic white, non-Hispanic black, non-Hispanic Asians, and Hispanics), age (children and adults), and sex; - A minimum of 5000 exams must be conducted each year; - A target examination response rate of 70% should be considered; and - Ability to tabulate key estimates for race/Hispanic origin, sex, and age group domains using a two year sample with a Relative Standard Error < .30 for a prevalence estimate of 0.10 after the design effect is accounted for However, while the analytic requirements are fixed, the sampling plan and data collection methodology are flexible provided the analytic requirements are met and maintained over the survey data collection cycles. Information Requested: The Government expects the responder to address the following areas: 1) Sample Design The current sampling plan involves the selection of 30 county-level PSUs that are nationally representative in a two-year sample. The CDC is seeking information on whether alternative designs (e.g. designs that may incorporate fixed sites, use of small vans, in-home visits, etc.) could be implemented that still meet the analytic requirements. Responses regarding the proposed sampling designs are limited to six (6) pages, double-spaced, in Times New Roman 12 font, and 1" margins. Responses must include sufficient detail regarding the sample design so that the CDC can make general conclusions regarding sample design and precision. Responses using multimedia or video are limited to ten (10) minutes in duration. 2) Data Collection Methodology The CDC is seeking information on approaches to data collection of interview and medical exam data (e.g. methodologies that may incorporate use of hospitals and/or other health care settings, local staffing, etc.). Submissions should cover operational issues related to overall project management, data collection, including staffing, training, monitoring, and specimen transportation and shipping requirements. Responses regarding data collection methodology are limited to six (6) pages, double-spaced, in Times New Roman 12 font, and 1" margins. Responses must include sufficient detail to address the question. Responses using multimedia or video are limited to ten (10) minutes in duration. 3) Cost Impacts The current sample design and data collection methodologies require extensive travel and other costs associated with a mobile survey. Please explain how your proposed sample design and data collection methodologies will create efficiencies in costs at a high-level (e.g. impact from sample design changes, impact on cost per survey participant, impact on number of participants that can be examined per year, impact on representativeness of the sample, etc.). Specific costs are not asked for or required. Responses regarding cost impact are limited to three (3) pages, double-spaced, in Times New Roman 12 font, and 1" margins. Responses must include sufficient detail to address the question. Responses using multimedia or video are limited to ten (10) minutes in duration.
