Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission for Office of Management and Budget Review; Comment Request; Experimental Study of Risk Information Amount and Location in Direct-to-Consumer Print Ads, 40295-40303 [2018-17360]
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Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 157 / Tuesday, August 14, 2018 / Notices
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND
HUMAN SERVICES
Food and Drug Administration
[Docket No. FDA–2017–N–1315]
Agency Information Collection
Activities; Submission for Office of
Management and Budget Review;
Comment Request; Experimental
Study of Risk Information Amount and
Location in Direct-to-Consumer Print
Ads
AGENCY:
Food and Drug Administration,
HHS.
ACTION:
Notice.
The Food and Drug
Administration (FDA) is announcing
that a proposed collection of
information has been submitted to the
Office of Management and Budget
(OMB) for review and clearance under
the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995
(the PRA).
DATES: Fax written comments on the
collection of information by September
13, 2018.
ADDRESSES: To ensure that comments on
the information collection are received,
OMB recommends that written
comments be faxed to the Office of
Information and Regulatory Affairs,
OMB, Attn: FDA Desk Officer, Fax: 202–
395–7285, or emailed to oira_
submission@omb.eop.gov. All
comments should be identified with the
OMB control number 0910—New and
title ‘‘Experimental Study of Risk
Information Amount and Location in
Direct-to-Consumer Print Ads.’’ Also
include the FDA docket number found
in brackets in the heading of this
document.
SUMMARY:
Ila
S. Mizrachi, FDA PRA Staff, Office of
Operations, Food and Drug
Administration, Three White Flint
North, 10A–12M, 11601 Landsdown St.,
North Bethesda, MD 20852, 301–796–
7726, PRAStaff@fda.hhs.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In
compliance with 44 U.S.C. 3507, FDA
has submitted the following proposed
collection of information to OMB for
review and clearance.
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FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Experimental Study of Risk
Information Amount and Location in
Direct-to-Consumer Print Ads
OMB Control Number 0910—NEW
I. Background
Section 1701(a)(4) of the Public
Health Service Act (42 U.S.C.
300u(a)(4)) authorizes FDA to conduct
research relating to health information.
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Section 1003(d)(2)(C) of the Federal
Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (the
FD&C Act) (21 U.S.C. 393(d)(2)(C))
authorizes FDA to conduct research
relating to drugs and other FDA
regulated products in carrying out the
provisions of the FD&C Act.
Section 502(n) of the FD&C Act (21
U.S.C.352(n)) specifies that
advertisements (ads) for prescription
drugs and biological products must
provide a true statement of information
‘‘in brief summary’’ describing the
advertised product’s ‘‘side effects,
contraindications and effectiveness.’’
This is clarified further in the
prescription drug advertising
regulations. The brief summary shall
include a true statement of information
relating to side effects,
contraindications, warnings,
precautions, and any such information
under such headings as cautions,
special considerations, important notes,
etc., as well as effectiveness
(§ 202.1(e)(1)). The prescription drug
advertising regulations also specify that
the phrase side effect and
contraindication refers to all of the
categories of risk information contained
in the required, approved, or permitted
product labeling written for health
professionals, including the side effects,
warnings, precautions, and
contraindications (§ 202.1(e)(3)(iii)). Ads
must also ‘‘present a fair balance
between information relating to side
effects and contraindications and
effectiveness . . .’’ An ad must present
true information relating to side effects
and contraindications in comparable
depth and detail with the claims for
effectiveness or safety (§ 202.1(e)(5)(ii)).
To fulfill the regulatory requirements
for fair balance and the brief summary,
sponsors have typically included risk
information about the product in directto-consumer (DTC) print ads both in the
main part of the ad where the product
claims appear, and in a separate brief
summary page. The section of the main
ad where the risks appear is often
referred to as the ‘‘Important Safety
Information’’ (ISI). Including risks in
both the ISI and the brief summary may
have advantages. Some research has
found that repetition of information
improves recall, especially for older
adults (Ref. 1). This might result in
improved recall for risks that appear
both in the ISI and brief summary.
However, it is possible that risks
appearing on the main page in the ISI
may be more likely to be read than risks
appearing in the brief summary. Based
on FDA survey research, about 27
percent of consumers surveyed in 2002
reported reading half or more of the
brief summary in DTC print ads (Ref. 2).
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In comparison, when asked how much
of the ‘‘main’’ ad they read, about 78
percent reported reading ‘‘all’’ or
‘‘almost all’’ of the main body portion of
the ad.
One potential downside to including
the same warnings in both the ISI and
again in the brief summary is the
potential to overwarn consumers.
Overwarning is the concept that
individuals are exposed to so many
warnings in the course of daily life that
they are less likely to pay attention to
any one particular warning (Ref. 3). In
terms of presenting risk information,
detailing too many risks may lead
consumers to discount all risks, or miss
the most important risk information.
Similarly, habituation follows when
readers see the same warning
repeatedly. Upon seeing a particular
warning repeatedly, consumers may
cease to pay attention to it (Refs. 4–6).
Even if a warning has features that make
it noticeable, it still has the potential for
habituation with repeated exposure
(Ref. 5). Although researchers caution
against habituation and overwarning,
there appears to be limited empirical
research in the area of DTC advertising
for prescription drugs for the logical
supposition that seeing repeated
warnings will lead to increased
selectivity and reduced attention by
recipients over time. Of note, the Office
of Prescription Drug Promotion (OPDP)
is studying the presentation of risk
information in the context of DTC TV
ads (‘‘Disclosure Regarding Additional
Risks in Direct-to-Consumer
Prescription Drug Television
Advertisements,’’ OMB control number
0910–0785).
OPDP plans to investigate, through
empirical research, various
combinations of the ISI and brief
summary. We propose to test two levels
of the ISI (short versus long) and the
presence of a consumer brief summary
(absent versus present) in two different
medical conditions (overactive bladder
(OAB) and rheumatoid arthritis). The
consumer brief summary will follow the
draft recommendations for language,
readability, content, and format
described in ‘‘Brief Summary and
Adequate Directions for Use: Disclosing
Risk Information in Consumer-Directed
Print Advertisements and Promotional
Labeling for Prescription Drugs:
Guidance for Industry, Revised Draft
Guidance’’ (Ref. 7). The ‘‘long’’ ISI is a
selection of risks from the brief
summary and is typical of what would
appear in current DTC ads for each
condition. The ‘‘short’’ ISI was created
by applying the ideas from recent FDA
work on the major statement in
broadcast ads (see Refs. 8 and 9).
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design. This will be investigated in DTC
print ads for prescription drugs.
This project is designed to use eyetracking technology. Eye-tracking
technology is an effective method to
determine the extent to which
consumers attend to risk information
presented in DTC print ads. This
technology allows researchers to
unobtrusively detect and measure where
a participant looks while viewing a
print ad and for how long, and the
pattern of their eye movements may
indicate attention to and processing of
information in the ad.
We plan to collect descriptive eyetracking data on voluntary participants’
attention to the following: (1) The ISI,
(2) the brief summary, and (3) the
indication and benefit claims. All
participants will be 18 years of age or
older. We will exclude individuals who
are trained as healthcare professionals,
employees of the U.S. Department of
Health and Human Services (HHS), or
who work in pharmaceutical,
advertising, or marketing settings
because their knowledge and
experiences may not reflect those of the
typical consumer. We will also exclude
individuals who have photosensitive
epilepsy; use a medical device that is
sensitive to infrared light; or wear
various kinds of eyeglasses, hard contact
lenses, or colored contact lenses, or
have certain vision disorders.
To examine differences between
experimental conditions, we will
conduct inferential statistical tests such
as analysis of variance. With the sample
size described in this document, we will
have sufficient power to detect small-tomedium sized effects in the main study.
We plan to conduct one 60-minute
pilot study with 40 participants and two
60-minute studies with 200 voluntary
participants each (50 participants in
each cell), for a total of 400 main study
voluntary participants. The studies will
be conducted in person in at least five
different cities across the United States.
These locations include Chicago, IL,
Tampa, FL, Phoenix, AZ, Houston, TX,
and Marlton, NJ. The pilot study and
main studies will have the same design
and will follow the same procedure.
Participants who self-identify as having
one of the medical conditions of interest
will be randomly assigned to one of four
test conditions. In Study 1, the ad will
be for a fictitious drug to treat
rheumatoid arthritis. In Study 2, the ad
will be for a fictitious drug to treat OAB.
After obtaining consent, we will explain
the study procedure to participants and
calibrate the eye-tracking device. To
collect eye-tracking data, we will use an
unobtrusive glasses-based real-world
eye tracker with a minimum speed of 50
hertz. The test images will be presented
on paper and sized similarly to how
they would appear in print materials
such as magazines. To simulate normal
ad viewing, participants will view two
ads. One of the ads will be the study ad.
The non-study ad will be for a consumer
product unrelated to health. Only eyetracking data from the study ad will be
analyzed. Next, participants will
complete a questionnaire that assesses
risk perceptions, risk recall, efficacy
perceptions, efficacy recall, and
covariates such as demographics and
health literacy. In the pilot study,
participants will also answer questions
as part of a debriefing interview to
assess the study design and
questionnaire.
In the Federal Register of June 19,
2017 (82 FR 27842), FDA published a
60-day notice requesting public
comment on the proposed collection of
information. Five public comments
were received. Comments received
along with our responses to the
comments are provided below. For
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brevity, some public comments are
paraphrased and therefore may not
reflect the exact language used by the
commenter. We assure commenters that
the entirety of their comments was
considered even if not fully captured by
our paraphrasing in this document. The
following acronyms are used here: FRN
= Federal Register Notice; DTC = directto-consumer; FDA and the Agency =
Food and Drug Administration; OPDP =
FDA’s Office of Prescription Drug
Promotion.
(Comment 1a, regulations.gov
tracking number 1k1–8xet–419m
(verbatim)) The research methodology
that is outlined here, does not take into
consideration prior exposure to ads and
the fact that it is known to take about
seven exposures to anything before the
information sticks. Exposing the
respondents to an hour-long eyetracking research study does not take
this into consideration.
(Response) We are not testing longterm retention of information. We are
recruiting participants who have the
medical condition of interest and may
currently be under treatment. Also,
Question 21 asks about familiarity with
treatments for the targeted condition,
which can be used as a covariate in
analyses. We do not expect participants
to have prior exposure to advertising for
the product in the study because the ad
is for a fictional product.
(Comment 1b (verbatim)) A sample of
400 is what is considered robust for
comparative analysis. Although you will
have enough to do some comparison
with 200 respondents in each group, it
would be better to increase to 400 per
group.
(Response) Analysis will be
conducted within medical condition.
This yields a sample size within each
study of 200, which will be used to
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Figures 1 and 2 describe the study
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examine the main effect of length of ISI,
the main effect of the presence of a brief
summary, and the interaction effects of
the two. The sample size of 200 was
determined through a power analysis
using an alpha level of 0.05, a power of
0.90 and a medium effect size (f = 0.25).
The power to detect a medium effect
size (f = 0.25) is 0.999 given an alpha
of 0.05 if the sample size for each study
was increased to 400. The increase in
sample size would not substantially
improve our ability to detect
differences.
(Comment 1c (verbatim, edited for
length)) It seems like the research is
front loaded to give the answer that the
FDA is looking for—give less
information to consumers so that they
think less about the side effects of the
product and buy more product.
Consumers should be given all the
information to make an informed choice
by themselves not determined by what
the FDA or other governmental
organization feels is what they can
handle.
(Response) Please see our responses to
Comments 2i and 5a. This research is
intended to develop scientific evidence
to help inform policy decisions and
ensure that our policies related to
prescription drug promotion will have
the greatest benefit to public health.
OPDP seeks to ensure that prescription
drug promotional materials provide
truthful, balanced and accurately
communicated information that helps
patients make informed decisions about
their treatment options. In each study,
the ads will all include the same risk
concepts and we will measure
comprehension of these risks. We will
vary the amount of detail about each
risk concept in the ISI section of the ad
and we will test the effects of repeating
information across the ISI and the
consumer brief summary.
(Comment 2a, regulations.gov
tracking number 1k1–8xz7-z732
(verbatim)) Do the exclusion criteria
adequately account for all potential
subjects that have vision impairments
that can affect how their eyes move as
they read? Additional exclusions may
be needed to address these (e.g.
blindness in one eye, artificial eye, etc.).
(Response) The study design currently
calls for excluding potential participants
with vision impairments that interfere
with the capabilities of the eye-tracking
glasses. This includes wearing regular
glasses, bifocals, trifocals, progressive
lenses, hard contact lenses, and colored
contact lenses. We will also add
exclusion criteria for potential
participants who have cataracts,
amblyopia (lazy eye/blind in one eye),
strabismus (cross-eyed), mydriasis
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(permanent pupil dilation), nystagmus
(involuntary eye movements), an ocular
prosthesis (glass eye), and who are
designated as legally blind.
(Comment 2b (verbatim)) Consider
adding an arm to the design that shows
an ad without any specific risk content
or a brief summary, but alternatively
consists of a statement that informs a
potential patient that the drug in
question has risks, including serious
risks, associated with its use, and that
it is very important that a patient talk
with his/her doctor about these risks,
prior to use, to determine if the drug is
appropriate for the patient. It would be
interesting to see what type of recall and
what type of eye movement data would
occur for this type of statement.
(Response) FDA regulations state that
prescription drug advertisements must
contain ‘‘a true statement of information
in brief summary relating to side effects,
contraindications (. . .[to] include side
effects, warnings, precautions, and
contraindications and include any such
information under such headings as
cautions, special considerations,
important notes, etc.) and effectiveness’’
(§ 202.1(e)(1)). Additionally,
advertisements must also ‘‘present a fair
balance between information relating to
side effects and contraindications and
. . . effectiveness. . . .’’
(§ 202.1(e)(5)(ii)). We decline the
suggestion to test the proposed
statement at this time.
(Comment 2c (verbatim)) Question 1:
The relevance of asking a subject to
assess how many risks are presented in
comparison to how many benefits is not
apparent. We recommend that FDA
consider deleting the question or
alternatively rewording it to get data on
how many risks the subjects think are
presented in the ad. Response options
should be quantitative, such as: No
risks, 1–3 risks, 4–6 risks, >6 risks.
(Response) The purpose of Question 1
is to assess participants’ initial
impressions of balance of risks versus
benefits in the ad. Additionally,
Question 4 has been revised based on
the results of cognitive testing to collect
risks that participants can recall. This
provides both a quantitative measure
and an accuracy evaluation. We believe
this approach will yield richer data as
far as how many risks the participant
recalls from the ad.
(Comment 2d (verbatim)) Question 4:
If subjects are going to be asked to
recall, using free text, the risks
presented in the ad, it would similarly
be interesting to add a similar question
to recall, using free text, which benefits
were presented in the ad.
(Response) The questionnaire
contains several questions about
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benefit/efficacy (Questions 3, 10, and
11). We also have questions that
measure the perceived risk/benefit
tradeoff (Questions 1, 18, and 19).
Although it would be interesting from a
conceptual standpoint to include an
open-ended recall question about
product benefits, our focus in this study
is on the risk information. Further, we
are concerned about adding length to
the questionnaire as we have worked to
minimize the burden of the collection of
information on respondents.
(Comment 2e (verbatim)) Questions 8,
10, and 11: Suggest rewording the
questions so that they describe the
likelihood that a person taking the drug
experiences a side effect or a benefit.
(Response) The items used in this
section were developed through scale
validation research. Thus, we prefer to
retain them in their original form.
(Comment 2f (verbatim)): Questions
12–15: It may be confusing for the
reader to discern differences between
the terms ‘‘main ad’’, ‘‘page following
the main ad’’, and ‘‘advertisement’’.
These terms might need to be
accompanied by further explanatory
text.
(Response) Cognitive testing revealed
participants did have difficulty
discerning the differences in the ad
components based on the descriptive
terms provided. To address this problem
and help with data quality, thumbnail
images will be provided next to
Questions 13–15, so that participants
will have a visual cue of what portion
of the ad the question is asking about
without allowing them to re-read the ad
stimulus.
(Comment 2g (verbatim)) Questions
16 and 17: Randomize the order in
which the personal involvement
adjectives/tasks are presented to
minimize bias.
(Response) Question 16 is The
Personal Involvement Inventory, a
validated measure with high internal
consistency (coefficient a = .88) and has
been used in prior studies to provide
useful information about personal
relevance (Refs. 10 and 11). The author
of the inventory confirmed that it was
developed and has been administered
without randomization of these items.
For the current study, values across
items will be averaged in order to
produce an overall personal
involvement score for comparison
across participants. Since this question
is a validated measure and will be used
only as a moderator variable, the item
order will not change. Question 17 is a
measure of self-efficacy, which will
serve as an additional outcome of
interest. We will randomize Question
17.
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(Comment 2h (verbatim)) Question 18:
It is not clear what the term ‘‘leave’’
means. It may mean ‘‘take time off from
work.’’ Please clarify.
(Response) Question 18 was
developed through scale validation
research. ‘‘Leave’’ does in fact mean
‘‘take time off from work.’’ We did not
encounter any confusion on the part of
respondents during cognitive testing of
the questionnaire. We prefer to retain
this question in its original form.
(Comment 2i (verbatim)) Question 19:
A consumer should not be expected to
make a risk/benefit assessment of a drug
simply by reading an ad. Such an
assessment can occur only after a
patient has had a discussion with his/
her healthcare provider. Thus, we
suggest deletion of this question.
(Response) An important purpose of
communicating the drug’s specific risk
and benefit information in DTC
advertising is to position consumers as
active and well-informed participants in
their health care decisionmaking. FDA
seeks to improve our understanding of
what baseline judgements about product
risks and benefits individuals make on
the basis of advertising. Question 19
does not indicate that FDA expects that
the advertisement will be the sole basis
for individuals to assess benefit and risk
or make ultimate healthcare decisions.
Rather, Question 19, which was
developed through scale validation
research, measures one aspect of the
consumer’s perception of the drug’s
risk-benefit tradeoff. Further, we did not
encounter any confusion on the part of
respondents during cognitive testing of
the questionnaire.
(Comment 2j (verbatim)) Questions
28–33: We note these questions assess
the ability of the respondent to answer
questions using an ice cream nutrition
facts label. We assume the inclusion of
these questions is to assess how well
respondents are capable of
comprehending complex numeric
information. However, we note that
some respondents may not be able to
comprehend and apply numeric
information or be motivated to do so,
regardless of how it appears. The format
may not matter when this is the case.
Therefore, we suggest that FDA consider
analyzing results based on those who
can vs. cannot answer the ice cream
questions. Alternatively, the ice cream
questions could be used at the start of
the survey to screen out those who are
unable to answer the questions, thereby
further focusing the sample on persons
who are able to comprehend numeric
presentations likely to be found in drug
promotion.
(Response) Questions 28–33 make up
the Newest Vital Sign (NVS), developed
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by Pfizer. (See https://www.pfizer.com/
health/literacy/public-policyresearchers/nvs-toolkit). The NVS is a
valid and reliable measure of health
literacy and numeracy that was used
and recommended by two studies (Refs.
12 and 13). In this study, the NVS will
be used as a covariate that measures risk
of low health literacy/numeracy. It is
important that potential participants of
various health literacy levels are
included, because level of health
literacy/numeracy of the individual has
been shown to play a particularly strong
role in viewing and processing health
information (Ref. 14).
For the stated reasons, no change to
the analysis or use of the questions to
filter the sample of participants is
planned.
(Comment 3a, regulations.gov
tracking number 1k1–8y5u–ecif
(verbatim)) One omitted variable in the
study design is recall after viewing the
ad and ISI/brief summary. It would
seem potential negative effects of
overwarning and habituation would be
even more apparent after a lapse of time.
The commenter suggests incorporating a
parameter to capture this, for example,
including a re-contact option to test
recall and interpretation after a period
of 2–4 days. For this recall option, we
suggest that a quota of ∼ 30 respondents
per cell in order to ensure a robust
sample for statistical testing.
(Response) Question 4 captures openended recall of risks and negative
effects. The comment proposes an
interesting research idea. However,
testing long-term retention of
information is beyond the scope of this
study.
(Comment 3b (summarized)) The
commenter suggests ensuring a
representative sample of respondents
with the conditions of interest is
collected (∼ 30 per cell). Analysis of
these respondents compared to those
without the conditions would act as a
control.
(Response) The study design calls for
only including individuals who have
the medical condition targeted for each
study. This is based on the rationale
that, relative to the general population,
individuals who suffer from a specific
medical condition pay more attention to
DTC ads related to that medical
condition (Refs. 15–17). Thus, we do not
plan to add a general population
sample.
(Comment 3c (verbatim)) Neither the
full stimuli nor specific examples of the
disclosure language were provided. The
lack of access to these makes full
interpretation of the study objectives
difficult as well as leaves us unable to
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provide suggestions or comments on the
stimuli to be tested.
(Response) We have described the
purpose of the study, the design, the
population of interest, and have
provided the questionnaire to numerous
individuals upon request. The brief
summary for each ad contains a
summary of the product risks, side
effects, and contraindications. The
‘‘long’’ ISI is a selection of risks from the
brief summary and is typical of what
would appear in current DTC ads for
each condition. The ‘‘short’’ ISI was
created by applying the ideas from
recent FDA work on the major statement
in broadcast ads (see Refs. 16 and 17).
Our full stimuli are under development
during the PRA process. We do not
make draft stimuli public during this
time because of concerns that this may
contaminate our participant pool and
compromise the research.
(Comment 3d (summarized)) The
commenter suggests that the data and
information collected with eye-tracking
be used as secondary evidence of
attention. This is due to both difficulty
of interpretation inherent in eyetracking data along with subjectivity
introduced by the ad copy stimuli under
examination, as stimuli can be
manipulated to increase/decrease
attractiveness to a respondents’ eye. The
commenter believes these limitations
make use of this data to direct policy
difficult. Additionally, the briefing
document does not expand upon exactly
how the eye-tracking data will be
analyzed other than tracking attention.
There are various ways to analyze eyetracking data, such as order of attention,
number of multiple viewings, and
possibly pupil dilation as a measure of
attention. The commenter has
traditionally added qualitative elements
to its use of eye-tracking technology in
research, by discussing what the
respondent saw after viewing the
stimuli and even reviewing a
respondents’ eye-tracking map with
them to get further insights.
(Response) To clarify, two types of
data will be collected in each study.
Both data types are considered useful
evidence. Self-report measures will be
collected via a web-based questionnaire,
and physical measures of attention will
be collected via eye-tracking glasses.
Existing research has relied on selfreport measures to determine how much
and what parts of the risk and benefit
information consumers are reading.
Because of the known unreliability of
self-report measures (Ref. 18), research
is needed to accurately determine what
and how much consumers are reading
when they see risk and benefit
statements in prescription drug ads.
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During the debriefings for the pilot
study, respondents will be shown their
eye-gaze data and asked to comment on
the elements of the stimuli they
attended to, the elements they did not
attend to, and why. These data in
aggregate form will be reviewed to
determine whether to modify the
stimuli prior to the main studies. Eyetracking data (both heat maps and gaze
plots) will be used in the analyses to
identify general patterns across
participants and to investigate how
those relate to questionnaire measures.
(Comment 3e (verbatim)) The FRN
states the location of risk information is
also an objective of the study. The
commenter assumes this ‘‘location’’
testing will be via testing risk
information communicated in stimuli
having the ISI plus the Brief Summary
against stimuli having the ISI only. If
this is inaccurate, then we are not sure
the study design as described in the
FRN adequately tests for a variable of
‘‘location.’’ If varying location of risk
information beyond ISI versus ISI +
Brief Summary is desired, the
commenter suggests this be tested in a
subsequent study or that the proposed
study better specify variation of
‘‘location.’’
(Response) The commenter has
correctly interpreted the study design.
We are not manipulating where the
information appears on the page.
Location, as used here, refers to the
presence of information in both the brief
summary and the ISI, or just the ISI.
Within each medical condition, we have
endeavored to maintain consistency of
where the information appears on the
page, and the order of the information,
across experimental conditions.
(Comment 3f (summarized)) Through
the survey, the commenter suggests
maintaining a single scale for all rating
questions. For example, the commenter
generally employs a 5-point scale,
which includes a midpoint, and is
defined at each point. In the current
questionnaire, the scales switch from 5point to 6-point scales which could
cause confusion among some
respondents. If the 6-point scales are
included explicitly to omit a neutral
mid-point, the commenter suggests that
each of the points are defined to ensure
that respondents know what the point
on the scale they are choosing means
(similarly to what is provided in
Question 20 onwards).
(Response) Many of the items used in
the survey were developed through
scale validation research (i.e., Questions
8–11, 18, and 19). These items utilize a
six-point scale, so we have attempted to
use six-point scales where possible. In
other cases, however, we are using items
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that have been used in prior FDA
studies (i.e., Questions 1 and 24) or are
established measurement inventories
(Question 16 is the Personal
Involvement Inventory; Ref. 11).
Changing the scale range or altering the
scale to add definitions to each scale
point would preclude comparison with
prior study results. Thus, we prefer to
maintain the scale ranges currently in
use.
(Comment 3g (summarized)) For
Questions 8–11, the commenter suggests
adding a ‘‘Don’t know’’ option as
respondents might not be able to assess
likelihood of side effects, seriousness of
side effects, efficacy, and potential
improvement based on the information
presented in the ad. The current range
of answer choices may force inaccurate
or speculative responses; a ‘‘Don’t
Know’’ answer would be a legitimate
choice and informative for the study.
The commenter’s standard practice is to
provide a ‘‘Don’t Know’’ option
whenever it could be a valid answer.
(Response) The items used in this
section were developed through scale
validation research. Thus, we prefer to
retain them in their original form, for
this study, though we will consider this
for future measurement studies.
(Comment 3h (verbatim)) For
Question 12, without ability to review
the stimuli, it is unclear what content
will appear in Area A, B, C and D. It is
also unclear whether the content will be
the same across all 4 stimuli ads or
whether content will change location in
the ad.
(Response) We have endeavored to
maintain consistency of information
location across conditions. Area A is the
part of the ad with a picture. Areas B,
C, and D are all sections of the ISI.
(Comment 3i (summarized)) The
commenter wonders what the utility of
asking Question 16 is as the question
appears to be out of scope with the
objectives of the study. Whether or not
the ad is important, boring, or relevant
to the respondent seems irrelevant to
the stated goals. We suggest removing
the question.
(Response) Please see our response to
Comment 2g.
(Comment 3j (summarized) In
Question 18, the inclusion of ‘‘. . .
outweigh all the things I have to do to
obtain it (appointments, prescriptions,
leave)’’ seems out of scope when
considering the objectives of the study.
The commenter suggests removing the
question.
(Response) This question measures
one aspect of product benefits, the
benefit-inconvenience tradeoff, which is
an important component of drug
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product perceptions. Additionally,
please see our response to Comment 2h.
(Comment 3k (summarized)) For
Question 19, the commenter suggests a
minor adjustment to the wording.
Instead of saying ‘‘The benefits of
[DRUG NAME] outweigh any side
effects it may have’’, the commenter
suggests saying ‘‘. . . any side effects it
is described/indicated as having’’. ‘‘May
have’’ could be interpreted subjectively
by respondents to include side effects
not in the ISI and brief summary.
(Response) Question 19 is a validated
question so it will be retained as is.
Cognitive testing revealed no
comprehension or reporting issues for
this question.
(Comment 3l (verbatim)) For
Questions 22–23 pertaining to
respondent perception of condition.
There does not appear to be any skip
logic to ensure that only those with one
of the specified conditions can answer
those questions. These questions should
not be asked of those who do not suffer
from one of the specified conditions.
(Response) We intend to recruit
individuals who self-identify as having
either OAB or rheumatoid arthritis.
Those individuals will be assigned to
view an ad that treats their medical
condition. The questionnaire will
contain questions relevant to that
medical condition only.
(Comment 4a, regulations.gov
tracking number 1k1–8y4d–os71
(summarized)) The commenter
recommends that greater emphasis be
placed on the recall/questionnaire
metric rather than the eye-tracking
metric. The eye-tracking data will
determine if there is indeed a direct
correlation between the length (amount)
of the risk information and length of
time spent looking at that information;
however, it will not differentiate
between what content and format is
more effective for communicating that
risk information. The commenter
suggests that FDA include in the
questionnaire (and/or debriefing
interview) specific inquiries regarding
the repetitiveness of the risk
information in order to further explore
the link between the amount and
placement of risk information and the
ultimate recall of this information.
(Response) Please see our response to
Comment 3d. In addition, we will add
a question regarding repetitiveness to
the questionnaire.
(Comment 4b (summarized)) The
commenter believes it is important that
the fictitious drugs in this study have
safety profiles reflecting the complex
safety profiles of actual, currentlyapproved and promoted products.
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(Response) The DTC ads to be used in
this research were developed using
actual ads for these medical conditions.
Additionally, we consulted with expert
reviewers in OPDP on content and
format to ensure the stimuli are realistic.
(Comment 4c (summarized)) The
‘‘short’’ versus ‘‘long’’ ISI should be
defined explicitly. The commenter
believes it is critical to know the
specific ISI content (‘‘short’’ and ‘‘long’’)
in order to fully understand the study
results. Additionally, OPDP examples of
adequate ‘‘short’’ and ‘‘long’’ ISIs used
in the context of print ads would be
valuable templates for industry,
especially given the lack of consensus in
acceptable utilization of ‘‘short’’
iterations of ISI as observed in past
OPDP advisory comments and Warning
Letters.
(Response) Please see our responses to
comments 1c and 3c. This study is not
intended to provide specific guidelines
on what content should be included in
the ISI.
(Comment 4d (summarized)) The
commenter proposes the content of the
brief summary be stated as well so as to
understand what risk information is
repeated from the ISI and what impact
this may have on the study results.
(Response) We have described how
the consumer brief summary will be
constructed in the Background section.
Please see our responses to Comment 1c
and 3c.
(Comment 4e (summarized)) The
commenter questions the utility of
including the control, consumer product
ad if the eye-tracking data is not
utilized. FDA should clarify if the
questionnaire will assess the recall of
the control ad. The commenter
recommends FDA fully evaluate the
data from the control ad in order to
provide appropriate context for the
results obtained from the study, healthrelated ads.
(Response) The purpose of
participants viewing the consumer
product ad, otherwise known as the
warm-up ad, is to orient them to the adviewing task. In addition, the warm-up
ad permits the research team to do an
initial review and adjustment of the eyetracking equipment as needed before the
study task begins. Therefore, there is no
plan to analyze the warm-up ad data as
it is not relevant to the focus of the
study, and is mainly a procedure to
orient the participant to the eye-tracking
task.
(Comment 5a, regulations.gov
tracking number 1k1–8y60–6g3m
(summarized)) The commenter is
concerned with the Agency’s recent
approaches to studies in this area. FDA
has proposed to undertake projects in a
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variety of disparate topics without
articulating a clear, overarching research
agenda or adequate rationales on how
the proposed research related to the goal
of further protecting public health.
Within the last year, the Agency has
increased such efforts at an exponential
pace. At times, FDA proposes new
studies seemingly without fully
appreciating its own previous research
published on the OPDP website.
Proposed studies are often unnecessary
in light of existing data. The commenter
suggests that the Agency publish a
comprehensive list of its prescription
drug advertising and promotion studies
from the past 5 years and articulate a
clear vision for its research priorities for
the near future. Going forward, FDA
should use such priorities to explain the
necessity and utility of its proposed
research and should provide a
reasonable rationale for the proposed
research.
(Response) OPDP’s mission is to
protect the public health by helping to
ensure that prescription drug
information is truthful, balanced, and
accurately communicated, so that
patients and health care providers can
make informed decisions about
treatment options. OPDP’s research
program supports this mission by
providing scientific evidence to help
ensure that our policies related to
prescription drug promotion will have
the greatest benefit to public health.
Toward that end, we have consistently
conducted research to evaluate the
aspects of prescription drug promotion
that we believe are most central to our
mission, focusing in particular on three
main topic areas: Advertising features,
including content and format; target
populations; and research quality.
Through the evaluation of advertising
features we assess how elements such as
graphics, format, and disease and
product characteristics impact the
communication and understanding of
prescription drug risks and benefits;
focusing on target populations allows us
to evaluate how understanding of
prescription drug risks and benefits may
vary as a function of audience; and our
focus on research quality aims at
maximizing the quality of research data
through analytical methodology
development and investigation of
sampling and response issues.
Because we recognize the strength of
data and the confidence in the robust
nature of the findings is improved
through the results of multiple
converging studies, we continue to
develop evidence to inform our
thinking. We evaluate the results from
our studies within the broader context
of research and findings from other
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sources, and this larger body of
knowledge collectively informs our
policies as well as our research program.
Our research is documented on our
homepage, which can be found at:
https://www.fda.gov/aboutfda/
centersoffices/officeofmedicalprod
uctsandtobacco/cder/ucm090276.htm.
The website includes links to the latest
FRNs and peer-reviewed publications
produced by our office. The website
maintains information on studies we
have conducted, dating back to a survey
of DTC attitudes and behaviors
conducted in 1999.
(Comment 5b (The commenter
provided a summary of their comments
followed by a more detailed description
of the same comments. For brevity, the
summary of comments has been omitted
and only the specific comments [5b
through 5t] are provided below. The
commenter’s full comments may be
accessed at regulations.gov via tracking
number 1k1–8y13–m7td) (summarized))
The PRA Notice states there has been
little empirical research for the logical
supposition that seeing repeated
warnings will lead to increased
selectivity and reduced attention. This
is not correct. As some authors have
commented, ‘‘[h]abituation has been
found in a variety [of] contexts and
domains.’’ The commenter is aware of at
least three empirical research studies,
none cited in the PRA Notice, that
demonstrate the ‘‘habituation effect is a
robust phenomenon.’’ This effect has
been documented in ‘‘studies involving
different contexts and response
measures.’’
(Response) We thank the commenter
for pointing out this
mischaracterization. We have revised
our introduction to clarify that whereas
there is an overall body of research
relating to habituation, there is limited,
if any, research on habituation in the
specific context of DTC print advertising
for prescription drugs.
(Comment 5c (summarized)) FDA
should clarify whether the proposed
study will adopt the brief summary
format outlined in ‘‘Guidance for
Industry—Brief Summary and Adequate
Directions for Use: Disclosing Risk
Information in Consumer-Directed Print
Advertisements and Promotional
Labeling for Prescription Drugs’’ (Draft
Guidance).
(Response) We plan to utilize the
Question and Answer consumerfriendly format described in the
referenced draft guidance.
(Comment 5d (summarized)) The
commenter requests that the Agency
make available for public comment the
study stimuli, including the non-study
ad for a consumer product unrelated to
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health. In particular, the commenter
wishes to provide comments on: (1)
What constitutes ‘‘short’’ and ‘‘long’’
length for the ISI and (2) the content,
format, and design of the Brief
Summary.
(Response) Please see our responses to
Comments 1c, 3c, 4c, and 4e.
(Comment 5e (summarized)) The
Agency proposes to use eye tracking
technology ‘‘to determine how risk
presentations in DTC print ads are
perceived.’’ The commenter encourages
the Agency to use this technology in
conjunction with other inputs (for
example, qualitative research) to
understand why subjects are looking at
a portion of the proposed materials,
rather than to draw conclusions that
such portions were viewed.
Additionally, an explanation of the use
of eye tracking technology should also
be included during the subject
enrollment process.
(Response) FDA plans to collect and
analyze eye-tracking (physical measures
of attention) data in conjunction with
other measures, including self-report
measures of attention, recall, and
comprehension. The recall measures
will be collected via qualitative (openended) questions. To avoid the potential
for priming effects, the goals of the eyetracking component of the study will
not be explained to recruited
individuals before they report for their
in-person sessions. However,
participants will be made aware of the
eye-tracking component during the
informed consent process. Please also
see our response to Comment 3d.
(Comment 5f (summarized)) Recall
Questions. FDA should capture whether
subjects comprehend that there are side
effects and negative outcomes, even if
the subject does not recall information
on the specifics. The commenter
suggests adding a question concerning
whether subjects were aided in the
recall of information by the ‘‘short’’ or
‘‘long’’ ISI format.
(Response) Questions 4a–c capture
recall of risk in an open-ended format.
Our approach involves random
assignment to experimental conditions;
each participant will see only one
version of the stimuli. Because
participants will not be aware there is
another, different format, asking them
their impressions of the long versus the
short format is not feasible.
(Comment 5g (verbatim)) Recall
questions (e.g., Question 4) ask test
subjects to identify specific side effects
and negative outcomes of the featured
drug products. It is not clear why such
questions are necessary for the research
purpose of the study.
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(Response) An important purpose of
communicating the drug’s specific risk
and benefit information in DTC
advertising is to position consumers as
active and well-informed participants in
their health care decision-making. In
this study, we are investigating how
different presentations of risk
information impact perception and
comprehension of drug risks and
benefits. These questions are designed
to provide information to help us
identify effective ways to communicate
risk and benefit information in DTC
advertising. See our response to
Comment 2b for additional context.
(Comment 5h (verbatim)) The
questionnaires do not define certain key
terms (e.g., risk, side effect). Subjects
may interpret these terms based on
different standards. FDA might consider
providing user-friendly definitions.
(Response) We appreciate the
importance of ensuring uniform
interpretation of terms. In cognitive
interviews preceding this work, we
assessed whether individuals interpret
key terms similarly and made revisions
where necessary. We have also
considered the additional time (burden)
that would be required to complete the
survey if every term were defined in the
pilot and main study. With these factors
in mind, we have chosen not to provide
additional definitions.
(Comment 5i (summarized)) The
commenter recommends that: (1) FDA
replace the phrase ‘‘negative outcomes’’
with ‘‘risks and warnings’’ and (2) insert
‘‘possible’’ before the phrase ‘‘side
effects.’’
(Response) We have deleted ‘‘negative
outcomes’’ from the question wording in
Question 2 and Question 4b. Also,
please see our response to Comment 3g
concerning the proposal to reword the
previously validated question.
(Comment 5j (verbatim)) The Agency
should consider changing the sliding
scale to an odd number system to permit
a ‘‘neutral’’ response. Most questions
(e.g., Questions 2–3, Questions 8–11)
provide six choices, not permitting a
neutral response.
(Response) Please see our response to
Comment 3f.
(Comment 5k (verbatim)) FDA should
reconsider the inclusion of the
perceived efficacy likelihood (Question
10) and perceived efficacy magnitude
(Question 11) questions. It is not
apparent what utility these specific
questions have in the context of the
study.
(Response) We note that this comment
is the opposite of Comment 2d, which
suggests adding recall questions about
product benefits. Although the main
focus of this research is on the risk
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information, an important purpose of
communicating the drug’s specific risk
and benefit information in DTC
advertising is to position consumers as
active and well-informed participants in
health care decision-making. These
questions will allow us to assess the
impact of our study variables on
perception and comprehension of drug
benefits.
(Comment 5l (summarized)) The
commenter supports a study design that
includes an analysis of whether the
inclusion of the brief summary, along
with a short or long ISI, presents
duplicative information to the user, and
therefore, introduces overwarning.
(Response) We thank the commenter
for their support of research. We
reiterate that the purpose of the study is
to examine how various means of
presenting risk information impact
consumer comprehension and
perceptions of product information.
(Comment 5m (verbatim)) FDA states
that it will conduct the studies in
person in at least five different cities
across the United States. The Agency
should address what efforts it will take
to avoid enrichment of the sample
population when selecting cities.
(Response) We interpret the
commenter’s request for FDA to address
how it will ‘‘avoid enrichment of the
sample population when selecting
cities’’ to mean that FDA should address
how it will avoid collecting data in
cities where the medical conditions are
more prevalent than in other cities. This
is not the aim of collecting data in five
different cities. Rather, the cities have
been selected to represent metropolitan
areas in various geographic areas of the
United States, including the West,
Southwest, Midwest, Southeast, and the
mid-Atlantic. These locations include
Chicago, IL, Tampa, FL, Phoenix, AZ,
Houston, TX, and Marlton, NJ. Due to
the low population prevalence rate of
the two medical conditions and the
need to conduct sessions with 40
individuals with the condition in each
of 5 areas, testing in rural areas is not
feasible.
(Comment 5n (summarized)) Study
participants diagnosed with one of the
medical conditions of interest may be
more prone to pay attention and read
information concerning prescription
drugs for these conditions. Additionally,
the study setting may prompt
participants to pay closer attention to
stimuli. FDA should clarify how it plans
to limit such response biases.
(Response) The study method
randomly assigns each participant to an
experimental condition, ensuring that
potential pre-existing biases will be
evenly distributed across the conditions.
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The only aspect of the participants’
experiences that will be varied in the
study will be the manipulations that we
have described. Thus, given the
experimental design of the study, if we
find differences between and among
conditions, we can be reasonably sure
that the manipulations caused the
differences. Similarly, any individual
differences in attention or ability should
be spread across experimental
conditions. We have not found in the
past that our participants spend an
inordinate amount of time viewing
stimuli, but we will be careful to place
the research in context when we
interpret the data.
(Comment 5o (verbatim)) An ‘‘FDA
employee’’ category, similar to S6 and
S7, should be added to the Screener
Survey. These individuals should also
be terminated from the study.
(Response) We have added a category
to exclude employees of HHS, which
includes employees of FDA.
(Comment 5p (verbatim)) S2 and S3 of
the Screener Survey should be rewritten
as follows: ‘‘Has a doctor or other health
care professional ever diagnosed you
with overactive bladder (OAB)?’’
‘‘Has a doctor or other health care
professional ever diagnosed you with
rheumatoid arthritis (RA)?’’
(Response) We will leave the wording
of the screener questions S2 and S3 asis. Cognitive testing results in various
contexts have indicated comprehension
and reporting errors associated with
using the more formal phrase ‘‘. . .
diagnosed you with . . . [condition].’’
Common practice is to use the wording
‘‘. . . ever told you . . . .’’
(Comment 5q (verbatim)) Question 16
of the Questionnaire and P1 of the Pilot
Study should be deleted. Whether a
subject considers the study stimuli to be
‘‘Exciting/Unexciting’’ or ‘‘Boring/
Interesting’’ or whether the subject
‘‘likes’’ the study stimuli has no
apparent relevance to FDA’s study
goals.
(Response) Please see our response to
Comment 2g.
(Comment 5r (verbatim)) Questions
12–17 should be the first questions of
the Questionnaire. A subject will likely
answer these questions most accurately
immediately after reviewing the study
stimuli and before answering other
questions that could influence these
answers.
(Response) FDA agrees that it is
important to position certain questions
where they will be answered in close
proximity to the ad-viewing time, which
may improve reporting accuracy.
However, the decision was to place the
questions that assess recall and
recognition of risks (Questions 4–7)
earliest in the question sequence, so as
to minimize memory decay and
contamination of responses by exposure
to questions covering other constructs
(risk likelihood, risk magnitude). The
attention (Question 12) and ad reading
(Questions 13–15) measures will be
retained in their current order (in the
first half of the questionnaire).
(Comment 5s (verbatim)) Question 18
should include considerations for
prescription drug access.
(Response) Please see our response to
Comment 2h.
(Comment 5t (summarized)) It is
unclear how FDA plans to utilize the
non-study ad (related to ice cream).
Questions 27–32 appear very different
in nature, substance, purpose, format,
and length than the questions
concerning the drug ad. FDA should
clearly articulate the purpose of this
stimulus and how it will be used in
analyzing study results (if at all). If the
sole purpose is to ‘‘stimulate normal ad
viewing,’’ the commenter encourages
adding another one to two non-study
ads.
(Response) The comment suggests
that the nutrition facts label was
interpreted as the ‘‘non-study ad.’’ That
is not the case. The ice cream nutrition
facts label and accompanying questions
(Questions 27–33) are included in the
questionnaire as skills-based measures
of health literacy and numeracy and
have been adapted for selfadministration in these studies. Please
see our response to Comment 2j.
FDA estimates the burden of this
collection of information as follows:
TABLE 1—ESTIMATED ANNUAL REPORTING BURDEN 1
Number of
respondents
Activity
Number of
responses per
respondent
Total annual
responses
Average burden per
response
Total hours
Pilot Screener ..........................................................
Study 1 Screener .....................................................
Study 2 Screener .....................................................
Completes, Pilot .......................................................
Completes, Study 1 .................................................
Completes, Study 2 .................................................
120
600
600
40
200
200
1
1
1
1
1
1
120
600
600
40
200
200
.03 (2 minutes) ..........
.03 (2 minutes) ..........
.03 (2 minutes) ..........
1 ................................
1 ................................
1 ................................
4
18
18
40
200
200
Total ..................................................................
........................
........................
........................
....................................
480
1 There
are no capital costs or operating and maintenance costs associated with this collection of information.
amozie on DSK3GDR082PROD with NOTICES1
II. References
The following references are on
display with the Dockets Management
Staff (HFA–305), Food and Drug
Administration, 5630 Fishers Lane, Rm.
1061, Rockville, MD 20852 and are
available for viewing by interested
persons between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m.,
Monday through Friday; they are also
available electronically at https://
www.regulations.gov. FDA has verified
the website addresses, as of the date this
document publishes in the Federal
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Register, but websites are subject to
change over time.
1. McGuire, L.C., ‘‘Remembering What the
Doctor Said: Organization and Older
Adults’ Memory for Medical
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2. Aikin, K.J., J.L. Swasy, and A.C. Braman,
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Behaviors Associated with DTC
Promotion of Prescription Drugs:
Summary of FDA Survey Research
Results’’ (2004). Available at https://
www.fda.gov/AboutFDA/CentersOffices/
OfficeofMedicalProductsandTobacco/
CDER/ucm151498.htm.
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Francis, Inc.
4. Conzola, V.C. and M.S. Wogalter, ‘‘A
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5. Wogalter, M.S. and K.R. Laughery,
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37, 1996.
6. Wogalter, M.S., T.L. Smith-Jackson, B.J.
Mills, and C.S. Paine, ‘‘The Effects of
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Print Format in Direct-to-Consumer
Prescription Drug Advertisements on
Risk Knowledge and Preference.’’ Drug
Information Journal, vol. 36(3), pp. 693–
705, 2002.
7. Brief Summary and Adequate Directions
for Use: Disclosing Risk Information in
Consumer-Directed Print Advertisements
and Promotional Labeling for
Prescription Drugs. Revised Draft
Guidance. Available at https://
www.fda.gov/downloads/Drugs/
GuidanceComplianceRegulatory
Information/Guidances/UCM069984.pdf.
8. ‘‘Content of Risk Information in the Major
Statement in Prescription Drug Direct-toConsumer Broadcast Advertisements;
Establishment of a Public Docket;
Request for Information and Comments.’’
August 21, 2017, 82 FR 39598.
9. Betts, Kevin R., et al., ‘‘Serious and
Actionable Risks, Plus Disclosure:
Investigating an Alternative Approach
for Presenting Risk Information in
Prescription Drug Television
Advertisements.’’ Research in Social and
Administrative Pharmacy, 2017.
10. Bhutada, N.S., B.L. Rollins, and M. Perri
III, ‘‘Impact of Animated SpokesCharacters in Print Direct-to-Consumer
Prescription Drug Advertising: An
Elaboration Likelihood Model
Approach.’’ Health Communication, vol.
32, pp. 391–400, 2017.
11. Zaichkowsky, J.L., ‘‘The Personal
Involvement inventory: Reduction,
Revision, and Application to
Advertising.’’ Journal of Advertising, vol.
23, pp. 59–70, 1994.
12. Mackert, M., S.E. Champlin, K.E. Pasch,
and B.D. Weiss, ‘‘Understanding Health
Literacy Measurement Through Eye
Tracking.’’ Journal of Health
Communication, vol. 18, pp. 185–196,
2013.
13. Chiang, K.P. and A. Jackson, ‘‘The Impact
of Health Literacy on Involvement and
Attitude Toward Pharmaceutical Print
Ads.’’ International Journal of
Healthcare Management, vol. 9(1), pp.
47–57, 2016.
14. An, S. and N. Muturi, ‘‘Subjective Health
Literacy and Older Adults’ Assessment
of Direct-to Consumer Prescription Drug
Ads.’’ Journal of Health Communication,
vol. 16(3), pp. 242–255, 2011.
15. Ball, J.G., D. Manika, and P. Stout,
‘‘Consumers Young and Old: Segmenting
the Target Markets for Direct-toConsumer Prescription Drug
Advertising.’’ Health Marketing
Quarterly, vol. 28(4), pp. 337–353, 2011.
16. Christensen, T.P., F.J. Ascione, and R.P.
Bagozzi, ‘‘Understanding How Elderly
Patients Process Drug Information: A
Test of a Theory of Information
Processing.’’ Pharmaceutical Research,
vol. 14, pp. 1589–1596, 1997.
17. Mehta, A. and S.C. Purvis, ‘‘Consumer
Response to Print Prescription Drug
Advertising.’’ Journal of Advertising
Research, vol. 43(2), pp. 194–206, 2003.
18. Paulhus, D.L. and S. Vazire, ‘‘The SelfReport Method.’’ Handbook of Research
Methods in Personality Psychology, vol.
1, pp. 224–239, 2007.
VerDate Sep<11>2014
19:13 Aug 13, 2018
Jkt 244001
Dated: August 8, 2018.
Leslie Kux,
Associate Commissioner for Policy.
[FR Doc. 2018–17360 Filed 8–13–18; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4164–01–P
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND
HUMAN SERVICES
The Biomedical Advanced Research
and Development Authority (BARDA)
Assistant Secretary for
Preparedness and Response, HHS.
ACTION: Notice.
AGENCY:
The Biomedical Advanced
Research and Development Authority
(BARDA), Office of the Assistant
Secretary for Preparedness and
Response (ASPR), in the Department of
Health and Human Services intends to
provide a Single Source Cooperative
Agreement to Janssen Research &
Development, LLC. The Cooperative
Agreement will support QuickFire
Challenges to spur innovation in
respiratory protection. The total
proposed cost of the Single Source
Cooperative Agreement is not to exceed
$100,000 for a total of 12 months.
DATES:
Project Period: The period of
performance is from July 30, 2018 to
June 30, 2019.
Award amount: Estimate $100,000.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Sherrette.Funn@hhs.gov, 202–795–7714,
Julie.Schafer@hhs.gov, 202–205–1435.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The
Biomedical Advanced Research and
Development Authority (BARDA) is the
program office for this Cooperative
Agreement:
Single Source Justification: Janssen
Research & Development, LLC creates
global challenges to spur innovation in
health care in partnership with JLABS,
a global network of open innovation
ecosystems designed to support
innovators and entrepreneurs in
creating and accelerating innovative
health care solutions.
Janssen Research & Development, LLC
and BARDA will collaborate on a global
challenge for reimagined, transformative
respiratory protection. Traditional
respiratory protective devices used to
protect against inhalation of harmful
infectious agents were designed for use
in occupational settings, to guard
against inhalation of dangerous
particulates. Disposable versions, such
as N95 respirators, are only available for
adults, must be fit-tested to ensure
proper functioning, and can be
uncomfortable to wear. In an outbreak of
a novel or newly emerging respiratory
SUMMARY:
PO 00000
Frm 00092
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
40303
disease, respiratory protection may be
the only countermeasure available to
protect health care workers and the
general public.
Janssen Research & Development, LLC
will partner with JLABS, which exists to
foster innovation in health care
products and executes QuickFire
Challenges for health care innovation.
There is no direct equivalent of the
QuickFire Challenge services for
innovation specific to health care as is
provided by JLABS. Its unique service
will directly benefit BARDA’s mission
to make available medical
countermeasures to address health
security threats. Supporting innovation
is an authority provided to BARDA
under the Public Health Service Act and
partnering with a company providing a
diverse array of products and leveraging
its expertise and infrastructure has the
potential to provide solutions to the
challenges in developing new
respiratory devices.
Reimagined, innovative respiratory
protection would contribute directly to
ASPR’s mission to save lives and protect
Americans against 21st Century health
security threats. Respiratory protection
is often the first line of defense, and a
radically improved approach to protect
both health care workers and the general
public, including children, would truly
improve our ability to respond to public
health emergencies. By generating
interest and focusing innovation efforts
on reimagining respiratory protection,
BARDA’s goal for the QuickFire
Challenge is for the resulting innovative
approaches to be eligible for continued
testing and development and eventual
regulatory approval, so that these
revolutionary products can be widely
available and used.
Please submit an inquiry via the
ASPR–BARDA Program Contact: Dr.
Julie Schafer, Julie.Schafer@hhs.gov,
202–205–1435.
Robert P. Kadlec,
Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and
Response.
[FR Doc. 2018–17381 Filed 8–13–18; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4150–28–P
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND
HUMAN SERVICES
Meeting of the Pain Management Best
Practices Inter-Agency Task Force
Office of the Assistant
Secretary for Health, Office of the
Secretary, Department of Health and
Human Services.
ACTION: Notice.
AGENCY:
E:\FR\FM\14AUN1.SGM
14AUN1
Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 157 (Tuesday, August 14, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 40295-40303]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-17360]
[[Page 40295]]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Food and Drug Administration
[Docket No. FDA-2017-N-1315]
Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission for Office
of Management and Budget Review; Comment Request; Experimental Study of
Risk Information Amount and Location in Direct-to-Consumer Print Ads
AGENCY: Food and Drug Administration, HHS.
ACTION: Notice.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is announcing that a
proposed collection of information has been submitted to the Office of
Management and Budget (OMB) for review and clearance under the
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (the PRA).
DATES: Fax written comments on the collection of information by
September 13, 2018.
ADDRESSES: To ensure that comments on the information collection are
received, OMB recommends that written comments be faxed to the Office
of Information and Regulatory Affairs, OMB, Attn: FDA Desk Officer,
Fax: 202-395-7285, or emailed to [email protected]. All
comments should be identified with the OMB control number 0910--New and
title ``Experimental Study of Risk Information Amount and Location in
Direct-to-Consumer Print Ads.'' Also include the FDA docket number
found in brackets in the heading of this document.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ila S. Mizrachi, FDA PRA Staff, Office
of Operations, Food and Drug Administration, Three White Flint North,
10A-12M, 11601 Landsdown St., North Bethesda, MD 20852, 301-796-7726,
[email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In compliance with 44 U.S.C. 3507, FDA has
submitted the following proposed collection of information to OMB for
review and clearance.
Experimental Study of Risk Information Amount and Location in Direct-
to-Consumer Print Ads
OMB Control Number 0910--NEW
I. Background
Section 1701(a)(4) of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C.
300u(a)(4)) authorizes FDA to conduct research relating to health
information. Section 1003(d)(2)(C) of the Federal Food, Drug, and
Cosmetic Act (the FD&C Act) (21 U.S.C. 393(d)(2)(C)) authorizes FDA to
conduct research relating to drugs and other FDA regulated products in
carrying out the provisions of the FD&C Act.
Section 502(n) of the FD&C Act (21 U.S.C.352(n)) specifies that
advertisements (ads) for prescription drugs and biological products
must provide a true statement of information ``in brief summary''
describing the advertised product's ``side effects, contraindications
and effectiveness.'' This is clarified further in the prescription drug
advertising regulations. The brief summary shall include a true
statement of information relating to side effects, contraindications,
warnings, precautions, and any such information under such headings as
cautions, special considerations, important notes, etc., as well as
effectiveness (Sec. 202.1(e)(1)). The prescription drug advertising
regulations also specify that the phrase side effect and
contraindication refers to all of the categories of risk information
contained in the required, approved, or permitted product labeling
written for health professionals, including the side effects, warnings,
precautions, and contraindications (Sec. 202.1(e)(3)(iii)). Ads must
also ``present a fair balance between information relating to side
effects and contraindications and effectiveness . . .'' An ad must
present true information relating to side effects and contraindications
in comparable depth and detail with the claims for effectiveness or
safety (Sec. 202.1(e)(5)(ii)).
To fulfill the regulatory requirements for fair balance and the
brief summary, sponsors have typically included risk information about
the product in direct-to-consumer (DTC) print ads both in the main part
of the ad where the product claims appear, and in a separate brief
summary page. The section of the main ad where the risks appear is
often referred to as the ``Important Safety Information'' (ISI).
Including risks in both the ISI and the brief summary may have
advantages. Some research has found that repetition of information
improves recall, especially for older adults (Ref. 1). This might
result in improved recall for risks that appear both in the ISI and
brief summary. However, it is possible that risks appearing on the main
page in the ISI may be more likely to be read than risks appearing in
the brief summary. Based on FDA survey research, about 27 percent of
consumers surveyed in 2002 reported reading half or more of the brief
summary in DTC print ads (Ref. 2). In comparison, when asked how much
of the ``main'' ad they read, about 78 percent reported reading ``all''
or ``almost all'' of the main body portion of the ad.
One potential downside to including the same warnings in both the
ISI and again in the brief summary is the potential to overwarn
consumers. Overwarning is the concept that individuals are exposed to
so many warnings in the course of daily life that they are less likely
to pay attention to any one particular warning (Ref. 3). In terms of
presenting risk information, detailing too many risks may lead
consumers to discount all risks, or miss the most important risk
information. Similarly, habituation follows when readers see the same
warning repeatedly. Upon seeing a particular warning repeatedly,
consumers may cease to pay attention to it (Refs. 4-6). Even if a
warning has features that make it noticeable, it still has the
potential for habituation with repeated exposure (Ref. 5). Although
researchers caution against habituation and overwarning, there appears
to be limited empirical research in the area of DTC advertising for
prescription drugs for the logical supposition that seeing repeated
warnings will lead to increased selectivity and reduced attention by
recipients over time. Of note, the Office of Prescription Drug
Promotion (OPDP) is studying the presentation of risk information in
the context of DTC TV ads (``Disclosure Regarding Additional Risks in
Direct-to-Consumer Prescription Drug Television Advertisements,'' OMB
control number 0910-0785).
OPDP plans to investigate, through empirical research, various
combinations of the ISI and brief summary. We propose to test two
levels of the ISI (short versus long) and the presence of a consumer
brief summary (absent versus present) in two different medical
conditions (overactive bladder (OAB) and rheumatoid arthritis). The
consumer brief summary will follow the draft recommendations for
language, readability, content, and format described in ``Brief Summary
and Adequate Directions for Use: Disclosing Risk Information in
Consumer-Directed Print Advertisements and Promotional Labeling for
Prescription Drugs: Guidance for Industry, Revised Draft Guidance''
(Ref. 7). The ``long'' ISI is a selection of risks from the brief
summary and is typical of what would appear in current DTC ads for each
condition. The ``short'' ISI was created by applying the ideas from
recent FDA work on the major statement in broadcast ads (see Refs. 8
and 9).
[[Page 40296]]
Figures 1 and 2 describe the study design. This will be investigated in
DTC print ads for prescription drugs.
[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TN14AU18.002
This project is designed to use eye-tracking technology. Eye-
tracking technology is an effective method to determine the extent to
which consumers attend to risk information presented in DTC print ads.
This technology allows researchers to unobtrusively detect and measure
where a participant looks while viewing a print ad and for how long,
and the pattern of their eye movements may indicate attention to and
processing of information in the ad.
We plan to collect descriptive eye-tracking data on voluntary
participants' attention to the following: (1) The ISI, (2) the brief
summary, and (3) the indication and benefit claims. All participants
will be 18 years of age or older. We will exclude individuals who are
trained as healthcare professionals, employees of the U.S. Department
of Health and Human Services (HHS), or who work in pharmaceutical,
advertising, or marketing settings because their knowledge and
experiences may not reflect those of the typical consumer. We will also
exclude individuals who have photosensitive epilepsy; use a medical
device that is sensitive to infrared light; or wear various kinds of
eyeglasses, hard contact lenses, or colored contact lenses, or have
certain vision disorders.
To examine differences between experimental conditions, we will
conduct inferential statistical tests such as analysis of variance.
With the sample size described in this document, we will have
sufficient power to detect small-to-medium sized effects in the main
study.
We plan to conduct one 60-minute pilot study with 40 participants
and two 60-minute studies with 200 voluntary participants each (50
participants in each cell), for a total of 400 main study voluntary
participants. The studies will be conducted in person in at least five
different cities across the United States. These locations include
Chicago, IL, Tampa, FL, Phoenix, AZ, Houston, TX, and Marlton, NJ. The
pilot study and main studies will have the same design and will follow
the same procedure. Participants who self-identify as having one of the
medical conditions of interest will be randomly assigned to one of four
test conditions. In Study 1, the ad will be for a fictitious drug to
treat rheumatoid arthritis. In Study 2, the ad will be for a fictitious
drug to treat OAB. After obtaining consent, we will explain the study
procedure to participants and calibrate the eye-tracking device. To
collect eye-tracking data, we will use an unobtrusive glasses-based
real-world eye tracker with a minimum speed of 50 hertz. The test
images will be presented on paper and sized similarly to how they would
appear in print materials such as magazines. To simulate normal ad
viewing, participants will view two ads. One of the ads will be the
study ad. The non-study ad will be for a consumer product unrelated to
health. Only eye-tracking data from the study ad will be analyzed.
Next, participants will complete a questionnaire that assesses risk
perceptions, risk recall, efficacy perceptions, efficacy recall, and
covariates such as demographics and health literacy. In the pilot
study, participants will also answer questions as part of a debriefing
interview to assess the study design and questionnaire.
In the Federal Register of June 19, 2017 (82 FR 27842), FDA
published a 60-day notice requesting public comment on the proposed
collection of information. Five public comments were received. Comments
received along with our responses to the comments are provided below.
For brevity, some public comments are paraphrased and therefore may not
reflect the exact language used by the commenter. We assure commenters
that the entirety of their comments was considered even if not fully
captured by our paraphrasing in this document. The following acronyms
are used here: FRN = Federal Register Notice; DTC = direct-to-consumer;
FDA and the Agency = Food and Drug Administration; OPDP = FDA's Office
of Prescription Drug Promotion.
(Comment 1a, regulations.gov tracking number 1k1-8xet-419m
(verbatim)) The research methodology that is outlined here, does not
take into consideration prior exposure to ads and the fact that it is
known to take about seven exposures to anything before the information
sticks. Exposing the respondents to an hour-long eye-tracking research
study does not take this into consideration.
(Response) We are not testing long-term retention of information.
We are recruiting participants who have the medical condition of
interest and may currently be under treatment. Also, Question 21 asks
about familiarity with treatments for the targeted condition, which can
be used as a covariate in analyses. We do not expect participants to
have prior exposure to advertising for the product in the study because
the ad is for a fictional product.
(Comment 1b (verbatim)) A sample of 400 is what is considered
robust for comparative analysis. Although you will have enough to do
some comparison with 200 respondents in each group, it would be better
to increase to 400 per group.
(Response) Analysis will be conducted within medical condition.
This yields a sample size within each study of 200, which will be used
to
[[Page 40297]]
examine the main effect of length of ISI, the main effect of the
presence of a brief summary, and the interaction effects of the two.
The sample size of 200 was determined through a power analysis using an
alpha level of 0.05, a power of 0.90 and a medium effect size (f =
0.25). The power to detect a medium effect size (f = 0.25) is 0.999
given an alpha of 0.05 if the sample size for each study was increased
to 400. The increase in sample size would not substantially improve our
ability to detect differences.
(Comment 1c (verbatim, edited for length)) It seems like the
research is front loaded to give the answer that the FDA is looking
for--give less information to consumers so that they think less about
the side effects of the product and buy more product. Consumers should
be given all the information to make an informed choice by themselves
not determined by what the FDA or other governmental organization feels
is what they can handle.
(Response) Please see our responses to Comments 2i and 5a. This
research is intended to develop scientific evidence to help inform
policy decisions and ensure that our policies related to prescription
drug promotion will have the greatest benefit to public health. OPDP
seeks to ensure that prescription drug promotional materials provide
truthful, balanced and accurately communicated information that helps
patients make informed decisions about their treatment options. In each
study, the ads will all include the same risk concepts and we will
measure comprehension of these risks. We will vary the amount of detail
about each risk concept in the ISI section of the ad and we will test
the effects of repeating information across the ISI and the consumer
brief summary.
(Comment 2a, regulations.gov tracking number 1k1-8xz7-z732
(verbatim)) Do the exclusion criteria adequately account for all
potential subjects that have vision impairments that can affect how
their eyes move as they read? Additional exclusions may be needed to
address these (e.g. blindness in one eye, artificial eye, etc.).
(Response) The study design currently calls for excluding potential
participants with vision impairments that interfere with the
capabilities of the eye-tracking glasses. This includes wearing regular
glasses, bifocals, trifocals, progressive lenses, hard contact lenses,
and colored contact lenses. We will also add exclusion criteria for
potential participants who have cataracts, amblyopia (lazy eye/blind in
one eye), strabismus (cross-eyed), mydriasis (permanent pupil
dilation), nystagmus (involuntary eye movements), an ocular prosthesis
(glass eye), and who are designated as legally blind.
(Comment 2b (verbatim)) Consider adding an arm to the design that
shows an ad without any specific risk content or a brief summary, but
alternatively consists of a statement that informs a potential patient
that the drug in question has risks, including serious risks,
associated with its use, and that it is very important that a patient
talk with his/her doctor about these risks, prior to use, to determine
if the drug is appropriate for the patient. It would be interesting to
see what type of recall and what type of eye movement data would occur
for this type of statement.
(Response) FDA regulations state that prescription drug
advertisements must contain ``a true statement of information in brief
summary relating to side effects, contraindications (. . .[to] include
side effects, warnings, precautions, and contraindications and include
any such information under such headings as cautions, special
considerations, important notes, etc.) and effectiveness'' (Sec.
202.1(e)(1)). Additionally, advertisements must also ``present a fair
balance between information relating to side effects and
contraindications and . . . effectiveness. . . .'' (Sec.
202.1(e)(5)(ii)). We decline the suggestion to test the proposed
statement at this time.
(Comment 2c (verbatim)) Question 1: The relevance of asking a
subject to assess how many risks are presented in comparison to how
many benefits is not apparent. We recommend that FDA consider deleting
the question or alternatively rewording it to get data on how many
risks the subjects think are presented in the ad. Response options
should be quantitative, such as: No risks, 1-3 risks, 4-6 risks,
6 risks.
(Response) The purpose of Question 1 is to assess participants'
initial impressions of balance of risks versus benefits in the ad.
Additionally, Question 4 has been revised based on the results of
cognitive testing to collect risks that participants can recall. This
provides both a quantitative measure and an accuracy evaluation. We
believe this approach will yield richer data as far as how many risks
the participant recalls from the ad.
(Comment 2d (verbatim)) Question 4: If subjects are going to be
asked to recall, using free text, the risks presented in the ad, it
would similarly be interesting to add a similar question to recall,
using free text, which benefits were presented in the ad.
(Response) The questionnaire contains several questions about
benefit/efficacy (Questions 3, 10, and 11). We also have questions that
measure the perceived risk/benefit tradeoff (Questions 1, 18, and 19).
Although it would be interesting from a conceptual standpoint to
include an open-ended recall question about product benefits, our focus
in this study is on the risk information. Further, we are concerned
about adding length to the questionnaire as we have worked to minimize
the burden of the collection of information on respondents.
(Comment 2e (verbatim)) Questions 8, 10, and 11: Suggest rewording
the questions so that they describe the likelihood that a person taking
the drug experiences a side effect or a benefit.
(Response) The items used in this section were developed through
scale validation research. Thus, we prefer to retain them in their
original form.
(Comment 2f (verbatim)): Questions 12-15: It may be confusing for
the reader to discern differences between the terms ``main ad'', ``page
following the main ad'', and ``advertisement''. These terms might need
to be accompanied by further explanatory text.
(Response) Cognitive testing revealed participants did have
difficulty discerning the differences in the ad components based on the
descriptive terms provided. To address this problem and help with data
quality, thumbnail images will be provided next to Questions 13-15, so
that participants will have a visual cue of what portion of the ad the
question is asking about without allowing them to re-read the ad
stimulus.
(Comment 2g (verbatim)) Questions 16 and 17: Randomize the order in
which the personal involvement adjectives/tasks are presented to
minimize bias.
(Response) Question 16 is The Personal Involvement Inventory, a
validated measure with high internal consistency (coefficient [alpha] =
.88) and has been used in prior studies to provide useful information
about personal relevance (Refs. 10 and 11). The author of the inventory
confirmed that it was developed and has been administered without
randomization of these items. For the current study, values across
items will be averaged in order to produce an overall personal
involvement score for comparison across participants. Since this
question is a validated measure and will be used only as a moderator
variable, the item order will not change. Question 17 is a measure of
self-efficacy, which will serve as an additional outcome of interest.
We will randomize Question 17.
[[Page 40298]]
(Comment 2h (verbatim)) Question 18: It is not clear what the term
``leave'' means. It may mean ``take time off from work.'' Please
clarify.
(Response) Question 18 was developed through scale validation
research. ``Leave'' does in fact mean ``take time off from work.'' We
did not encounter any confusion on the part of respondents during
cognitive testing of the questionnaire. We prefer to retain this
question in its original form.
(Comment 2i (verbatim)) Question 19: A consumer should not be
expected to make a risk/benefit assessment of a drug simply by reading
an ad. Such an assessment can occur only after a patient has had a
discussion with his/her healthcare provider. Thus, we suggest deletion
of this question.
(Response) An important purpose of communicating the drug's
specific risk and benefit information in DTC advertising is to position
consumers as active and well-informed participants in their health care
decisionmaking. FDA seeks to improve our understanding of what baseline
judgements about product risks and benefits individuals make on the
basis of advertising. Question 19 does not indicate that FDA expects
that the advertisement will be the sole basis for individuals to assess
benefit and risk or make ultimate healthcare decisions. Rather,
Question 19, which was developed through scale validation research,
measures one aspect of the consumer's perception of the drug's risk-
benefit tradeoff. Further, we did not encounter any confusion on the
part of respondents during cognitive testing of the questionnaire.
(Comment 2j (verbatim)) Questions 28-33: We note these questions
assess the ability of the respondent to answer questions using an ice
cream nutrition facts label. We assume the inclusion of these questions
is to assess how well respondents are capable of comprehending complex
numeric information. However, we note that some respondents may not be
able to comprehend and apply numeric information or be motivated to do
so, regardless of how it appears. The format may not matter when this
is the case. Therefore, we suggest that FDA consider analyzing results
based on those who can vs. cannot answer the ice cream questions.
Alternatively, the ice cream questions could be used at the start of
the survey to screen out those who are unable to answer the questions,
thereby further focusing the sample on persons who are able to
comprehend numeric presentations likely to be found in drug promotion.
(Response) Questions 28-33 make up the Newest Vital Sign (NVS),
developed by Pfizer. (See https://www.pfizer.com/health/literacy/public-policy-researchers/nvs-toolkit). The NVS is a valid and reliable
measure of health literacy and numeracy that was used and recommended
by two studies (Refs. 12 and 13). In this study, the NVS will be used
as a covariate that measures risk of low health literacy/numeracy. It
is important that potential participants of various health literacy
levels are included, because level of health literacy/numeracy of the
individual has been shown to play a particularly strong role in viewing
and processing health information (Ref. 14).
For the stated reasons, no change to the analysis or use of the
questions to filter the sample of participants is planned.
(Comment 3a, regulations.gov tracking number 1k1-8y5u-ecif
(verbatim)) One omitted variable in the study design is recall after
viewing the ad and ISI/brief summary. It would seem potential negative
effects of overwarning and habituation would be even more apparent
after a lapse of time. The commenter suggests incorporating a parameter
to capture this, for example, including a re-contact option to test
recall and interpretation after a period of 2-4 days. For this recall
option, we suggest that a quota of ~ 30 respondents per cell in order
to ensure a robust sample for statistical testing.
(Response) Question 4 captures open-ended recall of risks and
negative effects. The comment proposes an interesting research idea.
However, testing long-term retention of information is beyond the scope
of this study.
(Comment 3b (summarized)) The commenter suggests ensuring a
representative sample of respondents with the conditions of interest is
collected (~ 30 per cell). Analysis of these respondents compared to
those without the conditions would act as a control.
(Response) The study design calls for only including individuals
who have the medical condition targeted for each study. This is based
on the rationale that, relative to the general population, individuals
who suffer from a specific medical condition pay more attention to DTC
ads related to that medical condition (Refs. 15-17). Thus, we do not
plan to add a general population sample.
(Comment 3c (verbatim)) Neither the full stimuli nor specific
examples of the disclosure language were provided. The lack of access
to these makes full interpretation of the study objectives difficult as
well as leaves us unable to provide suggestions or comments on the
stimuli to be tested.
(Response) We have described the purpose of the study, the design,
the population of interest, and have provided the questionnaire to
numerous individuals upon request. The brief summary for each ad
contains a summary of the product risks, side effects, and
contraindications. The ``long'' ISI is a selection of risks from the
brief summary and is typical of what would appear in current DTC ads
for each condition. The ``short'' ISI was created by applying the ideas
from recent FDA work on the major statement in broadcast ads (see Refs.
16 and 17). Our full stimuli are under development during the PRA
process. We do not make draft stimuli public during this time because
of concerns that this may contaminate our participant pool and
compromise the research.
(Comment 3d (summarized)) The commenter suggests that the data and
information collected with eye-tracking be used as secondary evidence
of attention. This is due to both difficulty of interpretation inherent
in eye-tracking data along with subjectivity introduced by the ad copy
stimuli under examination, as stimuli can be manipulated to increase/
decrease attractiveness to a respondents' eye. The commenter believes
these limitations make use of this data to direct policy difficult.
Additionally, the briefing document does not expand upon exactly how
the eye-tracking data will be analyzed other than tracking attention.
There are various ways to analyze eye-tracking data, such as order of
attention, number of multiple viewings, and possibly pupil dilation as
a measure of attention. The commenter has traditionally added
qualitative elements to its use of eye-tracking technology in research,
by discussing what the respondent saw after viewing the stimuli and
even reviewing a respondents' eye-tracking map with them to get further
insights.
(Response) To clarify, two types of data will be collected in each
study. Both data types are considered useful evidence. Self-report
measures will be collected via a web-based questionnaire, and physical
measures of attention will be collected via eye-tracking glasses.
Existing research has relied on self-report measures to determine how
much and what parts of the risk and benefit information consumers are
reading. Because of the known unreliability of self-report measures
(Ref. 18), research is needed to accurately determine what and how much
consumers are reading when they see risk and benefit statements in
prescription drug ads.
[[Page 40299]]
During the debriefings for the pilot study, respondents will be
shown their eye-gaze data and asked to comment on the elements of the
stimuli they attended to, the elements they did not attend to, and why.
These data in aggregate form will be reviewed to determine whether to
modify the stimuli prior to the main studies. Eye-tracking data (both
heat maps and gaze plots) will be used in the analyses to identify
general patterns across participants and to investigate how those
relate to questionnaire measures.
(Comment 3e (verbatim)) The FRN states the location of risk
information is also an objective of the study. The commenter assumes
this ``location'' testing will be via testing risk information
communicated in stimuli having the ISI plus the Brief Summary against
stimuli having the ISI only. If this is inaccurate, then we are not
sure the study design as described in the FRN adequately tests for a
variable of ``location.'' If varying location of risk information
beyond ISI versus ISI + Brief Summary is desired, the commenter
suggests this be tested in a subsequent study or that the proposed
study better specify variation of ``location.''
(Response) The commenter has correctly interpreted the study
design. We are not manipulating where the information appears on the
page. Location, as used here, refers to the presence of information in
both the brief summary and the ISI, or just the ISI. Within each
medical condition, we have endeavored to maintain consistency of where
the information appears on the page, and the order of the information,
across experimental conditions.
(Comment 3f (summarized)) Through the survey, the commenter
suggests maintaining a single scale for all rating questions. For
example, the commenter generally employs a 5-point scale, which
includes a midpoint, and is defined at each point. In the current
questionnaire, the scales switch from 5-point to 6-point scales which
could cause confusion among some respondents. If the 6-point scales are
included explicitly to omit a neutral mid-point, the commenter suggests
that each of the points are defined to ensure that respondents know
what the point on the scale they are choosing means (similarly to what
is provided in Question 20 onwards).
(Response) Many of the items used in the survey were developed
through scale validation research (i.e., Questions 8-11, 18, and 19).
These items utilize a six-point scale, so we have attempted to use six-
point scales where possible. In other cases, however, we are using
items that have been used in prior FDA studies (i.e., Questions 1 and
24) or are established measurement inventories (Question 16 is the
Personal Involvement Inventory; Ref. 11). Changing the scale range or
altering the scale to add definitions to each scale point would
preclude comparison with prior study results. Thus, we prefer to
maintain the scale ranges currently in use.
(Comment 3g (summarized)) For Questions 8-11, the commenter
suggests adding a ``Don't know'' option as respondents might not be
able to assess likelihood of side effects, seriousness of side effects,
efficacy, and potential improvement based on the information presented
in the ad. The current range of answer choices may force inaccurate or
speculative responses; a ``Don't Know'' answer would be a legitimate
choice and informative for the study. The commenter's standard practice
is to provide a ``Don't Know'' option whenever it could be a valid
answer.
(Response) The items used in this section were developed through
scale validation research. Thus, we prefer to retain them in their
original form, for this study, though we will consider this for future
measurement studies.
(Comment 3h (verbatim)) For Question 12, without ability to review
the stimuli, it is unclear what content will appear in Area A, B, C and
D. It is also unclear whether the content will be the same across all 4
stimuli ads or whether content will change location in the ad.
(Response) We have endeavored to maintain consistency of
information location across conditions. Area A is the part of the ad
with a picture. Areas B, C, and D are all sections of the ISI.
(Comment 3i (summarized)) The commenter wonders what the utility of
asking Question 16 is as the question appears to be out of scope with
the objectives of the study. Whether or not the ad is important,
boring, or relevant to the respondent seems irrelevant to the stated
goals. We suggest removing the question.
(Response) Please see our response to Comment 2g.
(Comment 3j (summarized) In Question 18, the inclusion of ``. . .
outweigh all the things I have to do to obtain it (appointments,
prescriptions, leave)'' seems out of scope when considering the
objectives of the study. The commenter suggests removing the question.
(Response) This question measures one aspect of product benefits,
the benefit-inconvenience tradeoff, which is an important component of
drug product perceptions. Additionally, please see our response to
Comment 2h.
(Comment 3k (summarized)) For Question 19, the commenter suggests a
minor adjustment to the wording. Instead of saying ``The benefits of
[DRUG NAME] outweigh any side effects it may have'', the commenter
suggests saying ``. . . any side effects it is described/indicated as
having''. ``May have'' could be interpreted subjectively by respondents
to include side effects not in the ISI and brief summary.
(Response) Question 19 is a validated question so it will be
retained as is. Cognitive testing revealed no comprehension or
reporting issues for this question.
(Comment 3l (verbatim)) For Questions 22-23 pertaining to
respondent perception of condition. There does not appear to be any
skip logic to ensure that only those with one of the specified
conditions can answer those questions. These questions should not be
asked of those who do not suffer from one of the specified conditions.
(Response) We intend to recruit individuals who self-identify as
having either OAB or rheumatoid arthritis. Those individuals will be
assigned to view an ad that treats their medical condition. The
questionnaire will contain questions relevant to that medical condition
only.
(Comment 4a, regulations.gov tracking number 1k1-8y4d-os71
(summarized)) The commenter recommends that greater emphasis be placed
on the recall/questionnaire metric rather than the eye-tracking metric.
The eye-tracking data will determine if there is indeed a direct
correlation between the length (amount) of the risk information and
length of time spent looking at that information; however, it will not
differentiate between what content and format is more effective for
communicating that risk information. The commenter suggests that FDA
include in the questionnaire (and/or debriefing interview) specific
inquiries regarding the repetitiveness of the risk information in order
to further explore the link between the amount and placement of risk
information and the ultimate recall of this information.
(Response) Please see our response to Comment 3d. In addition, we
will add a question regarding repetitiveness to the questionnaire.
(Comment 4b (summarized)) The commenter believes it is important
that the fictitious drugs in this study have safety profiles reflecting
the complex safety profiles of actual, currently-approved and promoted
products.
[[Page 40300]]
(Response) The DTC ads to be used in this research were developed
using actual ads for these medical conditions. Additionally, we
consulted with expert reviewers in OPDP on content and format to ensure
the stimuli are realistic.
(Comment 4c (summarized)) The ``short'' versus ``long'' ISI should
be defined explicitly. The commenter believes it is critical to know
the specific ISI content (``short'' and ``long'') in order to fully
understand the study results. Additionally, OPDP examples of adequate
``short'' and ``long'' ISIs used in the context of print ads would be
valuable templates for industry, especially given the lack of consensus
in acceptable utilization of ``short'' iterations of ISI as observed in
past OPDP advisory comments and Warning Letters.
(Response) Please see our responses to comments 1c and 3c. This
study is not intended to provide specific guidelines on what content
should be included in the ISI.
(Comment 4d (summarized)) The commenter proposes the content of the
brief summary be stated as well so as to understand what risk
information is repeated from the ISI and what impact this may have on
the study results.
(Response) We have described how the consumer brief summary will be
constructed in the Background section. Please see our responses to
Comment 1c and 3c.
(Comment 4e (summarized)) The commenter questions the utility of
including the control, consumer product ad if the eye-tracking data is
not utilized. FDA should clarify if the questionnaire will assess the
recall of the control ad. The commenter recommends FDA fully evaluate
the data from the control ad in order to provide appropriate context
for the results obtained from the study, health-related ads.
(Response) The purpose of participants viewing the consumer product
ad, otherwise known as the warm-up ad, is to orient them to the ad-
viewing task. In addition, the warm-up ad permits the research team to
do an initial review and adjustment of the eye-tracking equipment as
needed before the study task begins. Therefore, there is no plan to
analyze the warm-up ad data as it is not relevant to the focus of the
study, and is mainly a procedure to orient the participant to the eye-
tracking task.
(Comment 5a, regulations.gov tracking number 1k1-8y60-6g3m
(summarized)) The commenter is concerned with the Agency's recent
approaches to studies in this area. FDA has proposed to undertake
projects in a variety of disparate topics without articulating a clear,
overarching research agenda or adequate rationales on how the proposed
research related to the goal of further protecting public health.
Within the last year, the Agency has increased such efforts at an
exponential pace. At times, FDA proposes new studies seemingly without
fully appreciating its own previous research published on the OPDP
website. Proposed studies are often unnecessary in light of existing
data. The commenter suggests that the Agency publish a comprehensive
list of its prescription drug advertising and promotion studies from
the past 5 years and articulate a clear vision for its research
priorities for the near future. Going forward, FDA should use such
priorities to explain the necessity and utility of its proposed
research and should provide a reasonable rationale for the proposed
research.
(Response) OPDP's mission is to protect the public health by
helping to ensure that prescription drug information is truthful,
balanced, and accurately communicated, so that patients and health care
providers can make informed decisions about treatment options. OPDP's
research program supports this mission by providing scientific evidence
to help ensure that our policies related to prescription drug promotion
will have the greatest benefit to public health. Toward that end, we
have consistently conducted research to evaluate the aspects of
prescription drug promotion that we believe are most central to our
mission, focusing in particular on three main topic areas: Advertising
features, including content and format; target populations; and
research quality. Through the evaluation of advertising features we
assess how elements such as graphics, format, and disease and product
characteristics impact the communication and understanding of
prescription drug risks and benefits; focusing on target populations
allows us to evaluate how understanding of prescription drug risks and
benefits may vary as a function of audience; and our focus on research
quality aims at maximizing the quality of research data through
analytical methodology development and investigation of sampling and
response issues.
Because we recognize the strength of data and the confidence in the
robust nature of the findings is improved through the results of
multiple converging studies, we continue to develop evidence to inform
our thinking. We evaluate the results from our studies within the
broader context of research and findings from other sources, and this
larger body of knowledge collectively informs our policies as well as
our research program. Our research is documented on our homepage, which
can be found at: https://www.fda.gov/aboutfda/centersoffices/officeofmedicalproductsandtobacco/cder/ucm090276.htm. The website
includes links to the latest FRNs and peer-reviewed publications
produced by our office. The website maintains information on studies we
have conducted, dating back to a survey of DTC attitudes and behaviors
conducted in 1999.
(Comment 5b (The commenter provided a summary of their comments
followed by a more detailed description of the same comments. For
brevity, the summary of comments has been omitted and only the specific
comments [5b through 5t] are provided below. The commenter's full
comments may be accessed at regulations.gov via tracking number 1k1-
8y13-m7td) (summarized)) The PRA Notice states there has been little
empirical research for the logical supposition that seeing repeated
warnings will lead to increased selectivity and reduced attention. This
is not correct. As some authors have commented, ``[h]abituation has
been found in a variety [of] contexts and domains.'' The commenter is
aware of at least three empirical research studies, none cited in the
PRA Notice, that demonstrate the ``habituation effect is a robust
phenomenon.'' This effect has been documented in ``studies involving
different contexts and response measures.''
(Response) We thank the commenter for pointing out this
mischaracterization. We have revised our introduction to clarify that
whereas there is an overall body of research relating to habituation,
there is limited, if any, research on habituation in the specific
context of DTC print advertising for prescription drugs.
(Comment 5c (summarized)) FDA should clarify whether the proposed
study will adopt the brief summary format outlined in ``Guidance for
Industry--Brief Summary and Adequate Directions for Use: Disclosing
Risk Information in Consumer-Directed Print Advertisements and
Promotional Labeling for Prescription Drugs'' (Draft Guidance).
(Response) We plan to utilize the Question and Answer consumer-
friendly format described in the referenced draft guidance.
(Comment 5d (summarized)) The commenter requests that the Agency
make available for public comment the study stimuli, including the non-
study ad for a consumer product unrelated to
[[Page 40301]]
health. In particular, the commenter wishes to provide comments on: (1)
What constitutes ``short'' and ``long'' length for the ISI and (2) the
content, format, and design of the Brief Summary.
(Response) Please see our responses to Comments 1c, 3c, 4c, and 4e.
(Comment 5e (summarized)) The Agency proposes to use eye tracking
technology ``to determine how risk presentations in DTC print ads are
perceived.'' The commenter encourages the Agency to use this technology
in conjunction with other inputs (for example, qualitative research) to
understand why subjects are looking at a portion of the proposed
materials, rather than to draw conclusions that such portions were
viewed. Additionally, an explanation of the use of eye tracking
technology should also be included during the subject enrollment
process.
(Response) FDA plans to collect and analyze eye-tracking (physical
measures of attention) data in conjunction with other measures,
including self-report measures of attention, recall, and comprehension.
The recall measures will be collected via qualitative (open-ended)
questions. To avoid the potential for priming effects, the goals of the
eye-tracking component of the study will not be explained to recruited
individuals before they report for their in-person sessions. However,
participants will be made aware of the eye-tracking component during
the informed consent process. Please also see our response to Comment
3d.
(Comment 5f (summarized)) Recall Questions. FDA should capture
whether subjects comprehend that there are side effects and negative
outcomes, even if the subject does not recall information on the
specifics. The commenter suggests adding a question concerning whether
subjects were aided in the recall of information by the ``short'' or
``long'' ISI format.
(Response) Questions 4a-c capture recall of risk in an open-ended
format. Our approach involves random assignment to experimental
conditions; each participant will see only one version of the stimuli.
Because participants will not be aware there is another, different
format, asking them their impressions of the long versus the short
format is not feasible.
(Comment 5g (verbatim)) Recall questions (e.g., Question 4) ask
test subjects to identify specific side effects and negative outcomes
of the featured drug products. It is not clear why such questions are
necessary for the research purpose of the study.
(Response) An important purpose of communicating the drug's
specific risk and benefit information in DTC advertising is to position
consumers as active and well-informed participants in their health care
decision-making. In this study, we are investigating how different
presentations of risk information impact perception and comprehension
of drug risks and benefits. These questions are designed to provide
information to help us identify effective ways to communicate risk and
benefit information in DTC advertising. See our response to Comment 2b
for additional context.
(Comment 5h (verbatim)) The questionnaires do not define certain
key terms (e.g., risk, side effect). Subjects may interpret these terms
based on different standards. FDA might consider providing user-
friendly definitions.
(Response) We appreciate the importance of ensuring uniform
interpretation of terms. In cognitive interviews preceding this work,
we assessed whether individuals interpret key terms similarly and made
revisions where necessary. We have also considered the additional time
(burden) that would be required to complete the survey if every term
were defined in the pilot and main study. With these factors in mind,
we have chosen not to provide additional definitions.
(Comment 5i (summarized)) The commenter recommends that: (1) FDA
replace the phrase ``negative outcomes'' with ``risks and warnings''
and (2) insert ``possible'' before the phrase ``side effects.''
(Response) We have deleted ``negative outcomes'' from the question
wording in Question 2 and Question 4b. Also, please see our response to
Comment 3g concerning the proposal to reword the previously validated
question.
(Comment 5j (verbatim)) The Agency should consider changing the
sliding scale to an odd number system to permit a ``neutral'' response.
Most questions (e.g., Questions 2-3, Questions 8-11) provide six
choices, not permitting a neutral response.
(Response) Please see our response to Comment 3f.
(Comment 5k (verbatim)) FDA should reconsider the inclusion of the
perceived efficacy likelihood (Question 10) and perceived efficacy
magnitude (Question 11) questions. It is not apparent what utility
these specific questions have in the context of the study.
(Response) We note that this comment is the opposite of Comment 2d,
which suggests adding recall questions about product benefits. Although
the main focus of this research is on the risk information, an
important purpose of communicating the drug's specific risk and benefit
information in DTC advertising is to position consumers as active and
well-informed participants in health care decision-making. These
questions will allow us to assess the impact of our study variables on
perception and comprehension of drug benefits.
(Comment 5l (summarized)) The commenter supports a study design
that includes an analysis of whether the inclusion of the brief
summary, along with a short or long ISI, presents duplicative
information to the user, and therefore, introduces overwarning.
(Response) We thank the commenter for their support of research. We
reiterate that the purpose of the study is to examine how various means
of presenting risk information impact consumer comprehension and
perceptions of product information.
(Comment 5m (verbatim)) FDA states that it will conduct the studies
in person in at least five different cities across the United States.
The Agency should address what efforts it will take to avoid enrichment
of the sample population when selecting cities.
(Response) We interpret the commenter's request for FDA to address
how it will ``avoid enrichment of the sample population when selecting
cities'' to mean that FDA should address how it will avoid collecting
data in cities where the medical conditions are more prevalent than in
other cities. This is not the aim of collecting data in five different
cities. Rather, the cities have been selected to represent metropolitan
areas in various geographic areas of the United States, including the
West, Southwest, Midwest, Southeast, and the mid-Atlantic. These
locations include Chicago, IL, Tampa, FL, Phoenix, AZ, Houston, TX, and
Marlton, NJ. Due to the low population prevalence rate of the two
medical conditions and the need to conduct sessions with 40 individuals
with the condition in each of 5 areas, testing in rural areas is not
feasible.
(Comment 5n (summarized)) Study participants diagnosed with one of
the medical conditions of interest may be more prone to pay attention
and read information concerning prescription drugs for these
conditions. Additionally, the study setting may prompt participants to
pay closer attention to stimuli. FDA should clarify how it plans to
limit such response biases.
(Response) The study method randomly assigns each participant to an
experimental condition, ensuring that potential pre-existing biases
will be evenly distributed across the conditions.
[[Page 40302]]
The only aspect of the participants' experiences that will be varied in
the study will be the manipulations that we have described. Thus, given
the experimental design of the study, if we find differences between
and among conditions, we can be reasonably sure that the manipulations
caused the differences. Similarly, any individual differences in
attention or ability should be spread across experimental conditions.
We have not found in the past that our participants spend an inordinate
amount of time viewing stimuli, but we will be careful to place the
research in context when we interpret the data.
(Comment 5o (verbatim)) An ``FDA employee'' category, similar to S6
and S7, should be added to the Screener Survey. These individuals
should also be terminated from the study.
(Response) We have added a category to exclude employees of HHS,
which includes employees of FDA.
(Comment 5p (verbatim)) S2 and S3 of the Screener Survey should be
rewritten as follows: ``Has a doctor or other health care professional
ever diagnosed you with overactive bladder (OAB)?''
``Has a doctor or other health care professional ever diagnosed you
with rheumatoid arthritis (RA)?''
(Response) We will leave the wording of the screener questions S2
and S3 as-is. Cognitive testing results in various contexts have
indicated comprehension and reporting errors associated with using the
more formal phrase ``. . . diagnosed you with . . . [condition].''
Common practice is to use the wording ``. . . ever told you . . . .''
(Comment 5q (verbatim)) Question 16 of the Questionnaire and P1 of
the Pilot Study should be deleted. Whether a subject considers the
study stimuli to be ``Exciting/Unexciting'' or ``Boring/Interesting''
or whether the subject ``likes'' the study stimuli has no apparent
relevance to FDA's study goals.
(Response) Please see our response to Comment 2g.
(Comment 5r (verbatim)) Questions 12-17 should be the first
questions of the Questionnaire. A subject will likely answer these
questions most accurately immediately after reviewing the study stimuli
and before answering other questions that could influence these
answers.
(Response) FDA agrees that it is important to position certain
questions where they will be answered in close proximity to the ad-
viewing time, which may improve reporting accuracy. However, the
decision was to place the questions that assess recall and recognition
of risks (Questions 4-7) earliest in the question sequence, so as to
minimize memory decay and contamination of responses by exposure to
questions covering other constructs (risk likelihood, risk magnitude).
The attention (Question 12) and ad reading (Questions 13-15) measures
will be retained in their current order (in the first half of the
questionnaire).
(Comment 5s (verbatim)) Question 18 should include considerations
for prescription drug access.
(Response) Please see our response to Comment 2h.
(Comment 5t (summarized)) It is unclear how FDA plans to utilize
the non-study ad (related to ice cream). Questions 27-32 appear very
different in nature, substance, purpose, format, and length than the
questions concerning the drug ad. FDA should clearly articulate the
purpose of this stimulus and how it will be used in analyzing study
results (if at all). If the sole purpose is to ``stimulate normal ad
viewing,'' the commenter encourages adding another one to two non-study
ads.
(Response) The comment suggests that the nutrition facts label was
interpreted as the ``non-study ad.'' That is not the case. The ice
cream nutrition facts label and accompanying questions (Questions 27-
33) are included in the questionnaire as skills-based measures of
health literacy and numeracy and have been adapted for self-
administration in these studies. Please see our response to Comment 2j.
FDA estimates the burden of this collection of information as
follows:
Table 1--Estimated Annual Reporting Burden \1\
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Number of
Activity Number of responses per Total annual Average burden per response Total hours
respondents respondent responses
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Pilot Screener.............................. 120 1 120 .03 (2 minutes)........................... 4
Study 1 Screener............................ 600 1 600 .03 (2 minutes)........................... 18
Study 2 Screener............................ 600 1 600 .03 (2 minutes)........................... 18
Completes, Pilot............................ 40 1 40 1......................................... 40
Completes, Study 1.......................... 200 1 200 1......................................... 200
Completes, Study 2.......................... 200 1 200 1......................................... 200
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Total................................... .............. .............. .............. .......................................... 480
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ There are no capital costs or operating and maintenance costs associated with this collection of information.
II. References
The following references are on display with the Dockets Management
Staff (HFA-305), Food and Drug Administration, 5630 Fishers Lane, Rm.
1061, Rockville, MD 20852 and are available for viewing by interested
persons between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m., Monday through Friday; they are also
available electronically at https://www.regulations.gov. FDA has
verified the website addresses, as of the date this document publishes
in the Federal Register, but websites are subject to change over time.
1. McGuire, L.C., ``Remembering What the Doctor Said: Organization
and Older Adults' Memory for Medical Information.'' Experimental
Aging Research, vol. 22, pp. 403-428, 1996.
2. Aikin, K.J., J.L. Swasy, and A.C. Braman, ``Patient and Physician
Attitudes and Behaviors Associated with DTC Promotion of
Prescription Drugs: Summary of FDA Survey Research Results'' (2004).
Available at https://www.fda.gov/AboutFDA/CentersOffices/OfficeofMedicalProductsandTobacco/CDER/ucm151498.htm.
3. Warnings and Risk Communication (2005). Wogalter, M.S., D.M.
DeJoy, and K.R. Laughery (Eds.). Philadelphia: Taylor & Francis,
Inc.
4. Conzola, V.C. and M.S. Wogalter, ``A Communication-Human
Information Processing (C-HIP) Approach to Warning Effectiveness in
the Workplace.'' Journal of Risk Research, vol. 4(4), pp. 309-322,
2001.
5. Wogalter, M.S. and K.R. Laughery, ``Warning! Sign and Label
Effectiveness.'' Current Directions in Psychological Science, vol.
5(2), pp. 33-37, 1996.
6. Wogalter, M.S., T.L. Smith-Jackson, B.J. Mills, and C.S. Paine,
``The Effects of
[[Page 40303]]
Print Format in Direct-to-Consumer Prescription Drug Advertisements
on Risk Knowledge and Preference.'' Drug Information Journal, vol.
36(3), pp. 693-705, 2002.
7. Brief Summary and Adequate Directions for Use: Disclosing Risk
Information in Consumer-Directed Print Advertisements and
Promotional Labeling for Prescription Drugs. Revised Draft Guidance.
Available at https://www.fda.gov/downloads/Drugs/GuidanceComplianceRegulatoryInformation/Guidances/UCM069984.pdf.
8. ``Content of Risk Information in the Major Statement in
Prescription Drug Direct-to-Consumer Broadcast Advertisements;
Establishment of a Public Docket; Request for Information and
Comments.'' August 21, 2017, 82 FR 39598.
9. Betts, Kevin R., et al., ``Serious and Actionable Risks, Plus
Disclosure: Investigating an Alternative Approach for Presenting
Risk Information in Prescription Drug Television Advertisements.''
Research in Social and Administrative Pharmacy, 2017.
10. Bhutada, N.S., B.L. Rollins, and M. Perri III, ``Impact of
Animated Spokes-Characters in Print Direct-to-Consumer Prescription
Drug Advertising: An Elaboration Likelihood Model Approach.'' Health
Communication, vol. 32, pp. 391-400, 2017.
11. Zaichkowsky, J.L., ``The Personal Involvement inventory:
Reduction, Revision, and Application to Advertising.'' Journal of
Advertising, vol. 23, pp. 59-70, 1994.
12. Mackert, M., S.E. Champlin, K.E. Pasch, and B.D. Weiss,
``Understanding Health Literacy Measurement Through Eye Tracking.''
Journal of Health Communication, vol. 18, pp. 185-196, 2013.
13. Chiang, K.P. and A. Jackson, ``The Impact of Health Literacy on
Involvement and Attitude Toward Pharmaceutical Print Ads.''
International Journal of Healthcare Management, vol. 9(1), pp. 47-
57, 2016.
14. An, S. and N. Muturi, ``Subjective Health Literacy and Older
Adults' Assessment of Direct-to Consumer Prescription Drug Ads.''
Journal of Health Communication, vol. 16(3), pp. 242-255, 2011.
15. Ball, J.G., D. Manika, and P. Stout, ``Consumers Young and Old:
Segmenting the Target Markets for Direct-to-Consumer Prescription
Drug Advertising.'' Health Marketing Quarterly, vol. 28(4), pp. 337-
353, 2011.
16. Christensen, T.P., F.J. Ascione, and R.P. Bagozzi,
``Understanding How Elderly Patients Process Drug Information: A
Test of a Theory of Information Processing.'' Pharmaceutical
Research, vol. 14, pp. 1589-1596, 1997.
17. Mehta, A. and S.C. Purvis, ``Consumer Response to Print
Prescription Drug Advertising.'' Journal of Advertising Research,
vol. 43(2), pp. 194-206, 2003.
18. Paulhus, D.L. and S. Vazire, ``The Self-Report Method.''
Handbook of Research Methods in Personality Psychology, vol. 1, pp.
224-239, 2007.
Dated: August 8, 2018.
Leslie Kux,
Associate Commissioner for Policy.
[FR Doc. 2018-17360 Filed 8-13-18; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4164-01-P