[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 58 (Friday, March 25, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 16778-16779]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-6855]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
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.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
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: ``Questionnaire and Data Collection Testing, Evaluation, and
Research for the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.'' In
accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act, 44 U.S.C. 3501-3520, AHRQ
invites the public to comment on this proposed information collection.
This proposed information collection was previously published in
the Federal Register on January 12th, 2011 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 April 25, 2011.
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 [email protected] (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
[email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Proposed Project
Questionnaire and Data Collection Testing, Evaluation, and Research for
the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) requests that
the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) re-approve generic pre-
testing clearance 0935-0124 for three years to facilitate AHRQ's
efforts to (1) Employ evaluation-type methods and techniques to improve
AHRQ's current data collection and estimation procedures, (2) develop
new collections and procedures, including toolkits, and (3) revise
existing collections and procedures. AHRQ uses techniques to simplify
data collection and estimation procedures, reduce respondent burden,
and improve efficiencies to meet the needs of individuals and small
business respondents who may have reduced budgets and staff. AHRQ
believes that developing, testing, and evaluating data collection and
estimation procedures using survey methods and other techniques in
anticipation of agency-sponsored studies can improve its information
collection efforts and the products it develops and allow AHRQ to be
more responsive to fast-changing developments in the healthcare
research field.
This clearance request is limited to research on data collection,
toolkit development, and estimation procedures and reports and does not
extend to the collection of data for public release or policy
formation. The current clearance was granted on April 3rd, 2008 and
expires on April 30th, 2011.
This generic clearance will allow AHRQ to draft and test toolkits,
survey instruments and other data collection and estimation procedures
more quickly and with greater lead time, thereby managing project time
more efficiently and improving the quality of the data AHRQ collects.
In some instances, the ability to test and evaluate toolkits, data
collection and estimation procedures in anticipation of work or early
in a project may result in the decision not to proceed with additional
activities, thereby saving both public and private resources and
effectively eliminating respondent burden.
Many of the tools AHRQ develops are made available to the private
sector to assist in improving health care quality. The health and
health care environment changes rapidly and requires a quick response
from AHRQ to provide refined tools. This generic clearance will
facilitate AHRQ's response to this changing environment.
These preliminary research activities will not be used by AHRQ to
regulate or sanction its customers. They will be entirely voluntary and
the confidentiality of respondents and their responses will be
preserved. Proposed information collections submitted under this
generic clearance will be reviewed and acted upon by OMB within 14 days
of submission to OMB.
Method of Collection
The information collected through preliminary research activities
will be used by AHRQ to employ techniques to (1) Improve AHRQ' s
current data collection and estimation procedures, (2) develop new
collections and procedures, including toolkits, and (3) revise existing
collections and procedures in anticipation or in response to changes in
the health or health care field. The end result will be improvement in
AHRQ's data collections and procedures and the quality of data
collected, a reduction or minimization of respondent burden, increased
agency efficiency, and improved responsiveness to the public.
Estimated Annual Respondent Burden
Exhibit 1 shows the estimated burden hours, over the full 3 years
of this clearance, for the respondents' time to participate in the
research activities that may be conducted under this generic clearance.
Mail surveys will be conducted with about 6,000 persons (2,000 per year
for 3 years) and are estimated to average 20 minutes. Mail surveys may
also be sent to respondents
[[Page 16779]]
via e-mail, and may include a telephone non-response follow-up.
Telephone non-response follow-up for mailed surveys is not counted as a
telephone survey in Exhibit 1. Not more than 600 persons, over 3 years,
will participate in telephone surveys that will take about 40 minutes.
Web-based surveys will be conducted with no more than 3,000 persons and
will require no more than 10 minutes to complete. About 1,500 persons
will participate in focus groups which may last up to two hours, while
in-person interviews will be conducted with 600 persons and will take
about 1 hour. Automated data collection will be conducted for about
1,500 persons and could take up to 1 hour. Cognitive testing will be
conducted with about 600 persons and is estimated to take \1/2\; hours
to complete. The total burden over 3 years is estimated to be 8,900
hours (about 2,967 hours per year).
Exhibit 2 shows the estimated cost burden over 3 years, based on
the respondent's time to participate in these research activities. The
total cost burden is estimated to be $298,239.
Exhibit 1--Estimated Burden Hours Over 3 Years
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Number of
Type of information collection Number of responses per Hours per Total burden
respondents respondent response hours
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Mail/e-mail *............................... 6,000 1 20/60 2,000
Telephone................................... 600 1 40/60 400
Web-based................................... 3,000 1 10/60 500
Focus Groups................................ 1,500 1 2.0 3,000
In-person................................... 600 1 1.0 600
Automated **................................ 1,500 1 1.0 1,500
Cognitive Testing ***....................... 600 1 1.5 900
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Totals.................................. 13,800 na na 8,900
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
* 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.
*** May include cognitive interviews for questionnaire or toolkit development, or ``think aloud'' testing of
prototype Web sites.
Exhibit 2--Estimated Cost Burden Over 3 Years
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Number of Total burden Average wage Total cost
Type of information collection respondents hours rate * burden
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Mail/e-mail................................. 6,000 2,000 $33.51 $67,020
Telephone................................... 600 400 33.51 13,404
Web-based................................... 3,000 500 33.51 16,755
Focus Groups................................ 1,500 3,000 33.51 100,530
In-person................................... 600 600 33.51 20,106
Automated................................... 1,500 1,500 33.51 50,265
Cognitive Testing........................... 600 900 33.51 30,159
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Totals.................................. 13,800 8,900 na 298,239
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
* Based upon the average wages for 29-000 (Healthcare Practitioner and Technical Occupations), ``National
Compensation Survey: Occupational Wages in the United States, May 2009,'' U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of
Labor Statistics.
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 healthcare research and healthcare 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: March 15, 2011.
Carolyn M. Clancy,
Director.
[FR Doc. 2011-6855 Filed 3-24-11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4160-90-M