TB Notes Newsletter
No.
3, 2007
COMMUNICATIONS, EDUCATION,
AND BEHAVIORAL STUDIES BRANCH UPDATE
A Review of DTBE’s First Year Using the
CDC INFO
Call Center
February 2007 marked the 1-year anniversary of DTBE’s use of CDC
INFO services, instead of DTBE staff, to respond to TB questions
from persons outside of CDC. CDC INFO is a contract service employed
by CDC to respond to consumer, provider, and partner inquiries, via
phone and e-mail, with the intent of providing a central CDC access
point to the public.
CDC INFO was first launched in February 2005, with a limited
number of CDC programs utilizing this service. DTBE began using CDC
INFO as part of the second implementation phase in 2006, along with
several other CDC programs. By 2008, all CDC programs will be using
CDC INFO to respond to inquiries from the public and health care
professionals.
CDC INFO consists of three staffing tiers, with each group
responsible for responding to different levels of inquiries. Those
in tier 1 answer questions from the general public and are required
to use scripted responses. Tier 2 staff answer basic inquiries from
health professionals and may use scripted responses or search
DTBE-approved websites for appropriate answers. Those in tier 3
respond to questions from health professionals and have the option
to use approved content, information from Internet searches, or
personal knowledge to answer questions. Tier 3 employees are
required to be health professionals, whereas tier 1 and tier 2 staff
are not.
The transition to CDC INFO from an in-house system of answering
public inquiries about TB (i.e., the Duty Officer system) required
significant input and oversight by DTBE staff. In preparation for
the transition, DTBE developed scripted responses about TB for CDC
INFO, notified partners and customers about the transition through
existing CDC communication systems (e.g., DTBE website, CDC Public
Inquiries phone line), developed procedures for DTBE staff to handle
complex inquiries escalated from CDC INFO, and provided TB training
for CDC INFO staff. As part of continuous quality assurance, DTBE
monitors e-mail responses daily and a sample of phone call responses
quarterly.
To ensure that CDC INFO employees are capable of addressing TB
questions accurately, DTBE created and provided scripts, or prepared
responses. DTBE staff provided in-person and teleconference training
for CDC INFO staff to ensure everyone knew key facts about TB, such
as the difference between latent TB infection and active TB disease.
Initial development of prepared responses was based on an internal
assessment of DTBE staff previously responsible for answering
inquiries from the public. Usage statistics for DTBE’s website also
helped determine frequently requested information. Material in the
prepared responses was customized for CDC INFO by tier to meet the
needs of the different types of inquirers. New prepared responses
and revisions to existing prepared responses are added to the CDC
INFO database as needed.
At the conclusion of the first year, DTBE reviewed data on CDC
INFO to determine its effectiveness as a communication tool and
examine the overall benefits and drawbacks of this system. CDC INFO
provides reports to DTBE with process data, such as numbers of
telephone calls and e-mails, and TB topics covered.
Between February 2006 and January 2007, CDC INFO received
approximately 1,000 e-mail inquiries and about 3,000 phone call
inquiries regarding TB. These numbers are estimates because actual
numbers of calls and e-mails received per month were not available
until October 2006. Nevertheless, the number of inquiries is
impressive considering that DTBE did not actively promote the use of
CDC INFO beyond the posting notices during the transition period.
Compared to all CDC programs that use CDC INFO, TB topics
consistently rank in the top 100 for e-mail inquiries, but have not
made the top 100 for phone calls. The three most frequently
requested TB topics of inquiry were diagnosis and testing, general
information, and transmission. These included questions from the
general public as well as from health professionals.
DTBE’s rating of how CDC INFO handles inquiries has improved over
time. This suggests that as CDC INFO personnel have become more
familiar with TB and the inquiry procedures, the quality of the
services being provided and DTBE’s satisfaction with CDC INFO have
both increased.
The majority of inquiries in the first year of use were handled
solely by CDC INFO, with only a small percentage escalated for DTBE
response. Certain inquiries are automatically escalated to DTBE,
such as those from other federal agencies. Others are escalated to
DTBE because CDC INFO is unable to answer the question with
available resources. Also, CDC INFO often refers inquirers to their
state TB control office or their national TB control program, if
living outside the
United States, for further
assistance.
 Despite limitations, CDC INFO provides many benefits to its
customers and DTBE. Not only do CDC INFO staff provide TB
information in English and Spanish 24-hours a day, they are capable
of handling an increased volume of inquiries from a wide audience.
DTBE would not have been able to provide these services without
assistance from CDC INFO. In addition, CDC INFO provides a means to
assess what TB information the public seeks. This has enabled DTBE
to create new education materials to address information gaps and
helps guide the redesign of the DTBE website.
Contact CDC INFO for information about TB and other health
topics. CDC INFO is available by phone at 1-800-CDC-INFO
(232-4636) or e-mail (cdcinfo@cdc.gov).
—Reported by Holly
Wilson, MHSE, CHES
Div of TB Elimination
Last Reviewed: 05/18/2008
Content Source: Division of Tuberculosis Elimination
National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention
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