Federal Register: October 23, 2003 (Volume 68, Number 205)

DOCID: FR Doc 03-26815

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality

NOTICE: NOTICES

DOCUMENT ACTION: Notice.

SUBJECT CATEGORY:

Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; Comment Request

DATES: Comments on this notice must be received by November 24, 2003.

DOCUMENT 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: ``Surveys of Employee Benefit Managers of Large National Employers Concerning Dissemination Effectiveness of Health Services Research Information (SEBM)''. In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, Public Law 10413 (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 August 20, 2003 and allowed 60 days for public comment. No public comments were received. The purpose of this notice is to allow an additional 30 days for public comment.

SUMMARY:

Agency information collection activities; proposals, submissions, and approvals,

SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION

Proposed Project
``Surveys of Employee Benefit Managers of Large National Employers Concerning Dissemination Effectiveness of Health Research Information (SEBM)''

The SEBM is a series of two questionnaires and one telephone interview to learn the extent of awareness, use of, and satisfaction with the content of health services research information by employee benefits managers of large national employers.

The surveys will also measure the effectiveness of the methods used to disseminate health services research information. The initial survey will serve as a benchmark against which the remaining two surveys in this study will be measured. Subsequent to the initial survey, AHRQ will initiate two interventions: (1) Placing AHRQsponsored information on a website and (2) making personal contact with employee benefits managers; a survey will follow each intervention to measure the extent to which each intervention makes employee benefit managers aware of AHRQ and its health research information. With this knowledge, AHRQ will be able to make changes to its information dissemination efforts to make them more effective and responsive to employee benefit managers.

Data Confidentiality Provisions

Data collected by the contractor and the contractor's draft analyses will be retained for one year after final acceptance of all contract deliverables, unless longer retention is requested by the agency for audit purposes. All agency documents pertaining to the contract will be archived after the contract is completed and retained in accordance with a Federal Records Act retention schedule. Methods of Collection

The data will be collected using a combination of webbased and telephone surveys.
Estimated Annual Respondent Burden Estimated time Estimated Survey Number of per respondent Estimated total annual cost to respondents in minutes burden hours the government Initial Benchmark Survey...................... 240 10 40 $4000 Post Intervention Survey 1........... 45 10 7.5 750 Post Intervention Survey 2........... 240 10 40 4000

Total..................................... 525 10 87.5 8750 Request for Comments

In accordance with the above cited 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 functions of AHRQ, including whether the information will have practical utility; (b) the accuracy of AHRQ's estimate of burden (including hours and cost) of the proposed collection 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 request for OMB approval of the proposed information collection. All comments will become a matter of public record.

Dated: September 29, 2003.
Carolyn M. Clancy,
Director.
[FR Doc. 0326815 Filed 102203; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 416090M

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT

Cynthia D. McMichael, AHRQ, Reports Clearance Officer, (301) 4271651.