[Federal Register: December 6, 2007 (Volume 72, Number 234)]
[Notices]
[Page 68885-68887]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr06de07-63]
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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection;
Comment Request
AGENCY: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Department of
Health and Human Services.
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: This notice announces the intention of the Agency for
Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) to request that the Office of
Management and Budget (OMB) allow the renewal of the generic
information collection project: ``Questionnaire and Data Collection
Testing, Evaluation, and Research for the Agency for Healthcare
Research and Quality.'' In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act
of 1995, Public Law 104-13 (44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A)), AHRQ invites the
public to comment on this proposed information collection.
This proposed information collection was previously published in
the Federal Register on August 15, 2007 and allowed 60 days for public
comment. No comments were received. A 30-day Federal Register notice
was published on October 19, 2007 to allow an additional 30 days for
public comment. No comments were received. However, changes to the
estimated annual respondent burden hours and the methodologies that
will be used for the data collection require an additional 30 days for
public comment.
DATES: Comments on this notice must be received by January 7, 2008.
ADDRESSES: Written comments should be submitted to: AHRQ's OMB Desk
Officer by fax at (202) 395-6974 (attention: AHRQ's desk officer) or by
e-mail at OIRA_submission@omb.eop.gov (attention: AHRQ's desk
officer).
Copies of the proposed collection plans, data collection
instruments, and specific details on the estimated burden can be
obtained from AHRQ's Reports Clearance Officer.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Doris Lefkowitz, AHRQ, Reports
Clearance Officer, (301) 427-1477.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Proposed Project
``Questionnaire and Data Collection Testing, Evaluation, and
Research for the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.''
AHRQ plans to employ the latest techniques to improve its current
data collections by developing new surveys, or information collection
tools and methods, and by revising existing collections in anticipation
of, or in response to, changes in the healthcare field, for a three-
year period. The clearance request is limited to research on
information collection tools and methods, and related reports and does
not extend to the collection of data for public release.
A generic clearance for this work allows AHRQ to draft and test
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information collection tools and methods more quickly, thereby managing
project time more efficiently and improving the quality of the
methodological data the agency collects.
In some instances the ability to pre-test/pilot-test information
collection surveys, tool and methods, in anticipation of work, or early
in a project, may result in the decision not to proceed with particular
survey activities. This would save both public and private resources
and effectively eliminate or reduce respondent burden.
Many of the tools AHRQ develops are made available to users in the
private sector. The health care environment changes rapidly and
requires a quick response from the agency to provide appropriately
refined tools. A generic clearance for this methodological work will
facilitate the agency's timely development of information collection
tools and methods suitable for use in changing conditions.
It is particularly important to refine AHRQ's tools because they
have a widespread impact. This tools are frequently made available to
help the private sector to improve health care quality by enabling the
gathering of useful data for analysis. They are also used to provide
information about health care quality to consumers and purchasers so
that they can make marketplace choices to influence and improve health
care quality. The current clearance will expire January 31, 2008. This
is a request for a generic approval from OMB to test information
collection instruments and methods over the next three years.
Methods of Collection
Participation in the testing of information collection tools and
methods will be fully voluntary and non-participation will have no
affect on eligibility for, or receipt of, future AHRQ health services
research support or on future opportunities to participate in research
or to obtain information research results. Specific estimation
procedures, when used, will be described when we notify OMB as to
actual studies conducted under the clearance.
Estimated Annual Respondent Burden
Exhibit 1.--Estimated Annualized Burden Hours
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Number of
Type of information collection Number of responses per Hours per Total burden
respondents respondent response hours
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Mail/e-mail*............................ 8,000 1 20/60 2,667
Telephone............................... 200 1 40/60 134
Web-based............................... 2,000 1 10/60 334
Focus Groups............................ 100 1 2.0 200
In-person............................... 200 1 1.0 200
Automated**............................. 500 1 1.0 500
Cognitive Lab Experiments............... 200 1 1.5
--------------------------------------------------------------------300
Totals.............................. 11,200 na na 4,335
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* May include telephone non-response follow-up in which case the burden will not change.
** May include testing of database software, CAPI software or other automated technologies.
Exhibit 2.--Estimated Annualized Cost Burden
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Number of Total burden Average hourly Total cost
Type of information collection respondents hours wage rate* burden
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Mail/e-mail*............................ 8,000 2,667 $30.00 $80,010
Telephone............................... 200 134 30.00 4,020
Web-based............................... 2,000 334 30.00 10,020
Focus Groups............................ 100 200 30.00 6,000
In-person............................... 200 200 30.00 6,000
Automated**............................. 500 500 30.00 15,000
Cognitive Lab Experiments............... 200 300 30.00 9,000
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Totals.............................. 11,200 4,335 30.00 130,050
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* May include telephone non-response follow-up in which case the burden will not change.
** May include testing of database software, CAPI software or other automated technologies.
This information collection will not impose a cost burden on the
respondents beyond that associated with their time to provide the
required data. There will be no additional costs for capital equipment,
software, computer services, etc.
Estimated Annual Costs to the Federal Government
Information collections conducted under this generic clearance will
in some cases be carried out under contract. Assuming four data
collections per year (either mail/e-mail, telephone, web-based or in-
person) at an average cost of $150,000 each, and two focus groups,
automated data collections or lab experiments at an average cost of
$20,000 each, total contract costs could be $640,000 per year.
Request for Comments
In accordance with the above-cited Paperwork Reduction Act
legislation, comments on AHRQ's information collection are requested
with regard to any of the following: (a) Whether the proposed
collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of
AHRQ health care research and health care information dissemination
functions, including whether the information will have practical
utility; (b) the accuracy of AHRQ's estimate of burden (including hours
and costs) of the proposed collection(s) of information; (c) ways to
enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be
collected; and (d) ways to minimize the burden of the collection of
information upon the respondents, including the use of automated
collection techniques or other forms of information technology.
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Comments submitted in response to this notice will be summarized
and included in the Agency's subsequent request for OMB approval of the
proposed information collection. All comments will become a matter of
public record.
Dated: November 29, 2007.
Carolyn M. Clancy,
Director.
[FR Doc. 07-5950 Filed 12-05-07; 8:45 am]
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