[Federal Register: December 9, 2008 (Volume 73, Number 237)]
[Notices]
[Page 74723-74724]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr09de08-57]
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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.
This proposed information collection was previously published in
the Federal Register on September 19th, 2008 and allowed 60 days for
public comment. One comment was received. This notice differs from the
previous notice in that the number of respondents was increased by 150
respondents and the burden hours were reduced by 1,488 hours. The
purpose of this notice is to allow an additional 30 days for public
comment.
DATES: Comments on this notice must be received by January 8, 2009.
ADDRESSES: Written comments should be submitted to: AHRQ's OMB Desk
Officer by fax at (202) 395-6974 (attention: AHRQs 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 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, provider specialty mix, 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 400 outpatient medical offices will be
identified and recruited. The goal is for the sample to be
proportionately distributed with regard to three practice
characteristics: Office size (number of physicians and employed staff);
provider specialty mix (single- vs multi-specialty); and extent to
which electronic health information tools are used. 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 paper-based
[[Page 74724]]
(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,
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
than an average of 10 persons (about 3 physicians and 7 staff) in each
of the approximately 400 medical offices will respond to the survey,
resulting in a maximum of 4000 responses (approximately 1,200
physicians and 2,800 staff). The Medical Office Survey on Patient
Safety (MO-SOPS) and 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 participating medical
offices. Standard techniques such as using a cover letter of support
from the medical office, reminder postcards, and distribution of a
second survey will be used to achieve the target response rate.
The MO-SOPS survey and Office Characteristics survey each require
approximately 15 minutes to complete. All staff will be asked to
complete the MO-SOPS, however only the office manager will need to
complete the Office Characteristics Survey. Additionally, the Post-
Survey Evaluation, which will take an estimated 15 minutes to complete,
will be distributed to all respondents electronically. It is estimated
that the total annualized respondent burden for completing the surveys
will be 2,100 hours.
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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MO-SOPS Survey.................................. 400 10 15/60 1,000
Office Characteristics Survey................... 400 1 15/60 100
Post-Survey Evaluation.......................... 400 10 15/60 1,000
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Total....................................... 1,200 na na 2,100
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Exhibit 2 shows the estimated annualized cost burden based on the
respondent's time to participate in this project. Based on the burden
hours and hourly rates of physicians and staff, the total annualized
cost burden is estimated at $58,662.
Exhibit 2--Estimated Annualized Cost Burden
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Number of Total burden Average hourly Total cost
Survey name respondents hours wage rate * burden
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MO-SOPS Survey.................................. 400 1,000 $27.44 $27,440
Office Characteristics Survey................... 400 100 37.82 3,782
Post-Survey Evaluation.......................... 400 1,000 27.44 27,440
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Total....................................... 1,200 2,100 n/a 58,662
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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: December 1, 2008.
Carolyn M. Clancy,
Director.
[FR Doc. E8-28902 Filed 12-8-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4160-90-M