[Federal Register: December 31, 2008 (Volume 73, Number 251)]
[Notices]
[Page 80410-80412]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr31de08-57]
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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, HHS.
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) approve the proposed information collection
project: ``The AHRQ Data Inventory.'' In accordance with the Paperwork
Reduction Act of 1995, 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 October 24th, 2008 and allowed 60 days for
public comment. One comment was received. 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 30, 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: ``The AHRQ Data Inventory''
The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) is interested
in determining the availability of regularly collected administrative
and other data collection initiatives about outpatient health service
utilization. AHRQ seeks to better understand issues in developing data
collection initiatives, redundancies in these initiatives, uses of
available data, gaps in available information, similarities across data
projects, and areas for possible collaboration and coordination. AHRQ's
initial focus is on those data sets that would inform healthcare
providers, policymakers, and consumers about outpatient health service
utilization and episodes of care.
The primary purpose of this information collection is to
comprehensively document outpatient health care data collection
initiatives in the 50 states, the District of Columbia, and other
geographic units. Information being collected about the data sets is
not readily available to the public. In-depth information about the
data sets will provide guidance to AHRQ on the potential synergy across
such initiatives and suggest how the information can inform Federal,
State, and local health care policymakers, clinicians, and consumers.
Information collected during the interviews will comprehensively
document outpatient health care data collection initiatives.
This project is important for several reasons. First, many data
collection initiatives exist or are in the planning
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stages, but there is limited collaboration and synthesis among
initiatives. With limited resources and common goals, it is imperative
to understand the issues in developing data collection initiatives,
redundancies in such initiatives, and gaps in available information.
Second, with the increasing costs of health care, it has become more
important than ever to use health services efficiently, yet care and
information about care is often collected and delivered in isolation
without coordination across sites or providers of care. The results of
this project will provide AHRQ and other policymakers with the
information they need to serve as a catalyst to promote coordinated
standardization, reduce redundancies, identify gaps in information, and
assist in further development of needed data efforts.
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 the costs and
utilization of, and access to, health care and the ways in which health
care services are organized, delivered, and financed (42 U.S.C.
299(b)(l)(D) and (E)); (2) conduct and support research on health care
and on systems for the delivery of such care (42 U.S.C. 299a(a)); and
(3) conduct and support research to advance the creation of effective
linkages between various sources of health information (42 U.S.C. 299b-
3(a)(3)).
Method of Collection
The survey will be initiated with an e-mail message from AHRQ to
managers/administrators of each data set selected for inclusion in the
Inventory. Data sets listed in the inventory were identified from a
search of Web-based information about outpatient and ambulatory patient
care data sets. The initial contact will be followed by an e-mail
distribution of a cover letter and the questionnaire. The cover letter
will include information about the purpose of the study, reason
respondents are being contacted, information about the nondisclosure of
their responses, and a request to have respondents review information
captured from the Internet about their data sets. In addition,
respondents will be informed that they have the option to complete and
return the questionnaire electronically or participate in a telephone
interview. Respondents who do not return their questionnaires by the
requested time will get an e-mail reminder. The e-mail reminder will be
followed by a telephone reminder.
Estimated Annual Respondent Burden
Exhibit 1 shows the estimated annual burden hours for the
respondent's time to participate in this project. A maximum of 80
respondents will complete the survey questionnaire which will require
about 45 minutes to complete. The total estimated burden hours for this
information collection is 60 hours.
Exhibit 2 show the estimated cost burden based on the respondent's
time to participate in this project. The total cost burden is
approximately $2,993.
Exhibit 1--Estimated Annualized Burden Hours
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Number of
Form name Number of responses per Hours per Total burden
respondents respondent response hours
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Inventory Survey................................ 80 1 45/60 60
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Total....................................... 80 1 na 60
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Exhibit 2--Estimated Annualized Cost Burden
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Number of Total burden Average hourly Total costs
Form name respondents hours wage rate * burden
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Inventory Survey................................ 80 60 $49.89 $2,993
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Total....................................... 80 60 na 2,993
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* Based upon the mean of general and operations managers (11-102 1), National Compensation Survey: Occupational
Wages in the United States 2007, U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Estimated Annual Costs to the Federal Government
This one-year project is estimated to cost the government $136,000.
Exhibit 3 details the costs associated with this project, which include
$11,000 for project development, $72,500 for data collection and
analysis, $12,000 for preparing reports, $20,000 for project management
and $21,000 for overhead.
Exhibit 3--Project Costs
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Cost component Total cost
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Project Development..................................... $11,000.00
Data Collection and Analysis............................ 72,500.00
Preparation of Reports.................................. 12,000.00
Project Management...................................... 20,000.00
Overhead................................................ 21,000.00
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Total............................................... 136,500.00
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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
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request for OMB approval of the proposed information collection. All
comments will become a matter of public record.
Dated: December 17, 2008.
Carolyn M. Clancy,
Director.
[FR Doc. E8-30762 Filed 12-30-08; 8:45 am]
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