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Air Force Information Collection Notice

Favicon for www.regulations.gov Regs.gov: Air Force Department
Detected March 23rd, 2026
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Summary

The Air Force's 711th Human Performance Wing is proposing a new information collection for a research study on wearable devices to predict musculoskeletal injuries and mental health disorders in military members and veterans. Public comments are requested on the necessity, utility, and burden of this collection.

What changed

The Air Force, through its 711th Human Performance Wing, has issued a 60-day notice for a proposed information collection related to the 'Wearables for Readiness Indicators' research study. This study aims to collect retrospective data from commercial wearable devices (e.g., Apple Watch, Garmin, Oura) and self-reported medical encounter information from military members and veterans within one year of separation. The goal is to identify biobehavioral signals that may predict musculoskeletal injuries or mental health disorders.

Regulated entities, specifically military members and veterans who are potential participants, are invited to provide comments on the proposed collection. The comment period closes on September 23, 2024. The notice seeks feedback on the practical utility, accuracy of burden estimates, and potential methods to enhance data quality and minimize respondent burden. Further information can be obtained from Dr. Rena Nicholas at the 711 Human Performance Wing.

What to do next

  1. Submit comments on the proposed information collection by September 23, 2024.
  2. Review the 'Wearables for Readiness Indicators' research study proposal for potential impact on participants.
  3. Contact Dr. Rena Nicholas for further information or to obtain the proposal documents.

Source document (simplified)

Content

ACTION:

60-Day information collection notice.

SUMMARY:

In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the 711th Human Performance Wing, Air and Space Biosciences Division announces a proposed public information collection and
seeks public comment on the provisions thereof. Comments are invited on: whether the proposed collection of information is
necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the agency, including whether the information shall have practical
utility; the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden of the proposed information collection; ways to enhance the quality,
utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and ways to minimize the burden of the information collection on
respondents, including through the use of automated collection techniques or other forms of information technology.

DATES:

Consideration will be given to all comments received by September 23, 2024.

ADDRESSES:

You may submit comments, identified by docket number and title, by any of the following methods:

Federal eRulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov. Follow the instructions for submitting comments.

Mail: Department of Defense, Office of the Assistant to the Secretary of Defense for Privacy, Civil Liberties, and Transparency,
Regulatory Directorate, 4800 Mark Center Drive, Mailbox #24, Suite 08D09, Alexandria, VA 22350-1700.

Instructions: All submissions received must include the agency name, docket number and title for this
Federal Register
document. The general policy for comments and other submissions from members of the public is to make these submissions available
for public viewing on the internet at http://www.regulations.gov as they are received without change, including any personal identifiers or contact information.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

To request more information on this proposed information collection or to obtain a copy of the proposal and associated collection
instruments, please write to 711 Human Performance Wing, Air and Space Biosciences Division, 2510 Fifth Street, Bldg. 840,
Wright-Patterson AFB, OH 45433, ATTN: Dr. Rena Nicholas, or call (937) 904-5700.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Title; Associated Form; and OMB Number: Wearables for Readiness Indicators; OMB Control Number 0701-WFRI.

Needs and Uses: The Wearables for Readiness Indicators research study aims to determine whether the biobehavioral signals from commercial
off-the-shelf wearable devices such as Apple Watches, Garmin watches, and Oura rings can reliably predict periods of risk
for musculoskeletal injuries or mental health disorders. The data collection activity asks volunteers to upload retrospective
commercial wearable data from their personally-procured commercial wearable devices to an online data collection site and
to provide the dates, diagnoses, and prescribed medications from all medical encounters during the time for which their wearables
data is available. The intent is to find biobehavioral signals that precede medical conditions such as mental health disorders
and musculoskeletal injuries. The data collection website will also query for other factors that may not be present in a medical
record but may influence the interpretation of wearables' biobehavioral signals. Therefore, subjects will answer questions
about their mood, occupational exposures, lifestyle risk factors and changes, and psychosocial stressors. They will also answer
questions about medical conditions they may have experienced but self-managed or for which they otherwise did not seek medical
attention.

The targeted population is focused on military members within 1 year of their approved military separation date or veterans
who are within 1 year of their separation date. This population was selected because they may be less reluctant to share their
medical information because they no longer have a fear of fitness for duty repercussions while still being representatively
healthy and “fit for duty,” with limited health morbidities and polypharmacy issues as a group of veterans who are more distal
from their dates of separation or compared to the general public who might have medical conditions that would be disqualifying
from service.

Affected Public: Individuals or households.

Annual Burden Hours: 900.

Number of Respondents: 600.

Responses per Respondent: 1.

Annual Responses: 600.

Average Burden per Response: 90 minutes.

Frequency: Once.

Study volunteers who meet inclusion criteria for the research will upload the data file for the previous 12 months from their
personal wearable device and enter their medical appointment dates and diagnoses for the same time period as their wearables
data (e.g., the previous 12 months). They will also answer the questions about lifestyle, risk, and mood to help clarify factors that
might affect the biobehavioral signals received from the personal wearable device. This data will be entered once, and when
completed, no further participation or contact with the researchers will occur, unless initiated

  by the volunteer, who has the right to contact the research team with questions, concerns, or feedback IAW DoDI 3216.02, which
  governs the protections of human subjects in research.

Dated: July 18, 2024. Aaron T. Siegel, Alternate OSD Federal Register Liaison Officer, Department of Defense. [FR Doc. 2024-16140 Filed 7-22-24; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 5001-05-P

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Named provisions

Wearables for Readiness Indicators Needs and Uses

Classification

Agency
USAF
Comment period closes
September 23rd, 2024 (closed 546 days ago)
Instrument
Consultation
Legal weight
Non-binding
Stage
Draft
Change scope
Substantive
Document ID
OMB Control Number 0701-WFRI
Docket
USAF-2024-HQ-0005-0001

Who this affects

Applies to
Consumers Employers
Industry sector
6211 Healthcare Providers
Activity scope
Health Data Collection Medical Research
Threshold
Military members within 1 year of approved military separation date or veterans within 1 year of their separation date.
Geographic scope
United States US

Taxonomy

Primary area
Healthcare
Operational domain
Research Operations
Topics
Public Health Data Privacy

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