[Federal Register: September 19, 2008 (Volume 73, Number 183)]
[Notices]
[Page 54402-54403]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr19se08-57]
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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 proposed information collection
project: ``Establishing Benchmarks for the Medical Office Survey on
Patient Safety.'' 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.
DATES: Comments on this notice must be received by November 18, 2008.
ADDRESSES: Written comments should be submitted to: Doris Lefkowitz,
Reports Clearance Officer, AHRQ, by e-mail at
doris.lefkowitz@ahrq.hhs.gov.
Copies of the proposed collection plans, data collection
instruments, and specific details on the estimated burden can be
obtained from the AHRQ Reports Clearance Officer.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Doris Lefkowitz, AHRQ Reports
Clearance Officer, (301) 427-1477, or by e-mail at
doris.lefkowitz@ahrq.hhs.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Proposed Project
``Establishing Benchmarks for the Medical Office Survey on Patient
Safety''.
The ambulatory Medical Office Survey on Patient Safety (SOPS), an
adapted version of AHRQ's Hospital Survey on Patient Safety Culture
(HSOPSC), was developed in 2005 to measure specific components of
patient safety culture in the ambulatory setting. A pilot study (OMB
0935-0131) assessed and refined the psychometric properties of
specific survey items, and a final version of SOPS is now ready for
public dissemination. However, in order for the survey to be most
useful to ambulatory medical offices in identifying areas of relative
strength and weakness in patient safety culture, reliable benchmarks to
which a practice's responses can be compared need to be established.
AHRQ has determined, through discussions with potential end-users
of SOPS, including leaders of physician and other provider groups, that
an ambulatory practice is unlikely to have confidence in SOPS
benchmarks unless the benchmarking data are based on responses derived
from offices with similar characteristics. Office characteristics
thought to have a potential effect on SOPS responses include practice
size, location, provider specialty, and use of electronic information
technology. A separate survey to collect information about these
practice characteristics has been developed and was tested and refined
as part of the pilot study.
In order to establish SOPS benchmarks that can be tailored with
respect to specific practice-related characteristics, survey responses
from a large sample of practices stratified by these characteristics
are required. AHRQ therefore intends to recruit and administer SOPS to
ambulatory medical offices that have been selected on the basis of
practice characteristics. In addition, AHRQ intends to collect from
these practices evaluative information about administrative barriers
and facilitators to survey participation as well as a description of
how the office used (or plans to use) the survey results to enhance
patient safety culture. These data will inform future efforts by AHRQ
to maximize the use of SOPS and the utility/value of survey results to
ambulatory practices across the country.
This project is being conducted pursuant to AHRQ's statutory
mandates to (1) promote health care quality improvement by conducting
and supporting research that develops and presents scientific evidence
regarding all aspects of health care, including methods for measuring
quality and strategies for improving quality (42 U.S.C. 299(b)(1)(F))
and (2) conduct and support research on health care and on systems for
the delivery of such care, including activities with respect to quality
measurement and improvement (42 U.S.C. 299a(a)(2)).
Methods of Collection
A purposive sample of 350 outpatient medical offices will be
identified and recruited. The goal is for the sample to be
proportionately distributed with regard to six practice
characteristics: geographical location of offices; office size (number
of physicians and employed staff); provider specialty; type of practice
ownership; extent to which electronic information tools are used; and
demographics of patients being served. All physicians and employed
staff in the practices will be asked to complete the SOPS.
Additionally, one office manager for the practice will be asked to
complete the Office Characteristics Survey. Since higher response rates
have been demonstrated when paperbased (compared to electronic) surveys
are administered to busy ambulatory clinicians, SOPS will be
administered in paper form. Standard non-response follow-up techniques
such as reminder postcards and distribution of a second survey will be
used. Additionally, all respondents will subsequently be asked to
complete a web-based evaluation assessing barriers and facilitators to
survey completion,
[[Page 54403]]
and the intended use(s) of survey data. Individuals and organizations
contacted will be assured of the confidentiality of their replies under
42 U.S.C. 924(c).
Estimated Annual Respondent Burden
Exhibit 1 shows the estimated burden hours for the medical offices'
time to participate in this one-time data collection. It is anticipated
that an average of 20 persons (about 6 physicians and 14 staff) in each
of the 350 medical offices will respond to the survey, resulting in
7000 responses (approximately 2,000 physicians and 5,000 staff). The
Survey on Patient Safety and the Post-Survey Evaluation will be
completed by both physicians and staff, while the Office
Characteristics Survey will be completed by the office manager at each
of the 350 participating medical offices. Each survey will require
approximately 15 minutes to complete. The total annualized burden for
the medical offices to participate in this project is estimated to be
3,588 hours.
Exhibit 2 shows the estimated cost burden to participate in this
project. The total annualized cost burden, based on the burden hours
and hourly rates of the physicians and staff, is estimated at $99,368.
Exhibit 1--Estimated Annualized Burden Hours
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Number of
Survey name Number of responses per Hours per Total burden
respondents respondent response hours
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Survey on Patient Safety (SOPS)................. 350 20 15/60 1,750
Office Characteristics Survey................... 350 1 15/60 88
Post-Survey Evaluation.......................... 350 20 15/60 1,750
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Total....................................... 1,050 na na 3,588
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Exhibit 2--Estimated Annualized Cost Burden
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Average
Survey name Number of Total burden hourly wage Total cost
respondents hours rate * burden
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Survey on Patient Safety (SOPS)................. 350 1,750 $27.44 $48,020
Office Characteristics Survey................... 350 88 37.82 3,328
Post-Survey Evaluation.......................... 350 1,750 27.44 48,020
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Total....................................... 1,050 3,588 na 99,368
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* For the SOPS and Post-Survey Evaluation the wage rate is the national average wage for ``healthcare
practitioner and technical occupations.'' For the Office Characteristics Survey the hourly wage is the
national average wage for ``medical and health services managers.'' National Compensation Survey: Occupational
Wages in the United States 2006, U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Estimated Annual Costs to the Federal Government
The total cost to the Government for conducting this research will
be approximately $340,000. This estimate includes the costs of medical
office identification and recruitment; data collection and aggregation;
shipping, inputting and cleaning of data; analysis and report writing.
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.
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: September 9, 2008.
Carolyn M. Clancy,
Director.
[FR Doc. E8-21822 Filed 9-18-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4160-90-M