[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 29 (Friday, February 11, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 7858-7859]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-3083]
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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
[30Day-11-0234]
Agency Forms Undergoing Paperwork Reduction Act Review
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) publishes a
list of information collection requests under review by the Office of
Management and Budget (OMB) in compliance with the Paperwork Reduction
Act (44 U.S.C. Chapter 35). To request a copy of these requests, call
the CDC Reports Clearance Officer at (404) 639-5960 or send an e-mail
to [email protected]. Send written comments to CDC Desk Officer, Office of
Management and Budget, Washington, DC or by fax to (202) 395-5806.
Written comments should be received within 30 days of this notice.
Proposed Project
National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey (NAMCS) (OMB No. 0920-0234
exp. 07/31/2012)--Revision--National Center for Health Statistics
(NCHS), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Background and Brief Description
Section 306 of the Public Health Service (PHS) Act (42 U.S.C.
242k), as amended, authorizes that the Secretary of Health and Human
Services (DHHS), acting through NCHS, shall collect statistics on the
utilization of health care provided by nonfederal office-based
physicians in the United States. This revision is to notify the public
of significant changes proposed for NAMCS for the 2011-2013 survey
period. A three-year clearance is requested.
NAMCS was conducted annually from 1973 to 1981, again in 1985, and
resumed as an annual survey in 1989. The purpose of NAMCS, a voluntary
survey, is to meet the needs and demands for statistical information
about the provision of ambulatory medical care services in the United
States. Ambulatory services are rendered in a wide variety of settings,
including physician offices and hospital outpatient and emergency
departments. The NAMCS target universe consists of all office visits
made by ambulatory patients to non-Federal office-based physicians
(excluding those in the specialties of anesthesiology, radiology, and
pathology) who are engaged in direct patient care. In 2006, physicians
and mid-level providers (i.e., nurse practitioners, physician
assistants, and nurse midwives) practicing in community health centers
(CHCs) were added to the NAMCS sample, and these data will continue to
be collected. NAMCS provides a range of baseline data on the
characteristics of the users and providers of ambulatory medical care.
Data collected include the patients' demographic characteristics,
reason(s) for visit, provider diagnoses, diagnostic services,
medications, and visit disposition.
The President's fiscal year 2011 budget requests that Congress
consider a budget increase for this survey for 2011. If the budget
increase is approved by Congress, an increase in the sample size of
approximately 1,000 physicians and 30,000 visit records is requested.
NCHS is also increasing the sample by 500 physicians funded through the
Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACT) of 2010. Currently
NAMCS produces national and regional estimates. These increases will
greatly improve the ability to track providers' practice patterns,
including their adoption and meaningful use of health information
technology (HIT).
A supplemental mail survey on the adoption and use of electronic
medical records (EMRs) in physician offices was added to NAMCS in 2008,
and will continue. These data were requested by the Office of the
National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC),
Department of Health and Human Services, to measure progress toward
goals for EMR adoption. The mail survey will collect information on
characteristics of physician practices and the capabilities of EMRs
used in those practices. To complement the EMR mail survey, NCHS plans
to introduce a provider-based mail survey to assess physician workflow
before and after EMR implementation. The EMR workflow mail survey is
also sponsored by ONC and will evaluate the progress of meeting the
President's goal for most Americans to have access to an interoperable
electronic health record by 2014.
Scheduled to begin in 2012, a proposed asthma supplement will be
administered to primary care physicians, physicians likely to see
asthma patients, and all CHC providers. This supplement will provide a
more accurate picture of the uptake and implementation of specific
asthma management guidelines. Also beginning in 2012, questions are
being added to the NAMCS induction form to collect information on the
frequency of referrals and use of complementary and alternative
medicine (CAM) by conventional providers. These questions will show the
extent to which conventional providers are integrating CAM into their
treatment plans.
In 2011, NAMCS will include an additional sample of 300 physicians
to pretest the asthma supplement, CAM questions, and computerized
assisted interviewing instruments that will mimic current NAMCS forms.
If the pretest is successful, NCHS will add the new CAM items, asthma
supplement, and computerized instruments for data collection beginning
in 2012.
Users of NAMCS data include, but are not limited to, Congressional
offices, Federal agencies, State and local governments, schools of
public health, colleges and universities, private industry, nonprofit
foundations, professional associations, clinicians, researchers,
administrators, and health planners.
There is no cost to respondents other than their time to
participate. The total estimated annualized burden hours are 12,179.
Estimated Annualized Burden Hours
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Number of
Type of respondent Form name Number of responses per Hours per
respondents respondent response
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Core NAMCS:
Office-based physicians/CHC Physician Induction 5,012 1 28/60
providers. Interview (NAMCS-1).
Community Health Center Community Health Center 104 1 20/60
Directors. Induction Interview (NAMCS-
201).
[[Page 7859]]
Office-based physicians/CHC Patient Record form (NAMCS- 1,017 30 11/60
providers/staff. 30).
Office/CHC staff............... Pulling, re-filing Patient 893 30 1/60
Record form (NAMCS-30).
Office-based physicians/CHC Asthma Supplement.......... 669 1 15/60
providers/staff.
Office-based physicians........ EMR/EHR Mail Survey........ 5,460 1 20/60
Office-based physicians........ Physician Workflow Survey.. 2,982 1 20/60
Pretest NAMCS forms:
Office-based physicians........ Physician Induction 100 1 35/60
Interview (NAMCS-1).
Office-based physicians........ Asthma Supplement.......... 100 1 15/60
Office-based physicians/staff.. Patient Record form (NAMCS- 100 30 14/60
30).
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Dated: February 7, 2011.
Carol E. Walker,
Acting Reports Clearance Officer, Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention.
[FR Doc. 2011-3083 Filed 2-10-11; 8:45 am]
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