Federal Register: September 19, 2008 (Volume 73, Number 183)
DOCID: fr19se08-57 FR Doc E8-21822
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
NOTICE: NOTICES
DOCID: fr19se08-57
DOCUMENT ACTION: Notice.
SUBJECT CATEGORY:
Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; Comment Request
DATES: Comments on this notice must be received by November 18, 2008.
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: ``Establishing Benchmarks for the Medical Office Survey on Patient Safety.'' 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.
SUMMARY:
Agency Information Collection Activities; Proposals, Submissions, and Approvals,
SUPPLEMENTAL 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
AHRQ has determined, through discussions with potential endusers 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, location, provider specialty, 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 practicerelated 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 350 outpatient medical offices will be
identified and recruited. The goal is for the sample to be proportionately distributed with regard to six practice
characteristics: geographical location of offices; office size (number
of physicians and employed staff); provider specialty; type of practice
ownership; extent to which electronic information tools are used; and
demographics of patients being served. 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 paperbased (compared to electronic) surveys
are administered to busy ambulatory clinicians, SOPS will be
administered in paper form. Standard nonresponse followup techniques
such as reminder postcards and distribution of a second survey will be
used. Additionally, all respondents will subsequently be asked to
complete a webbased evaluation assessing barriers and facilitators to survey completion,
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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 onetime data collection. It is anticipated
that an average of 20 persons (about 6 physicians and 14 staff) in each
of the 350 medical offices will respond to the survey, resulting in
7000 responses (approximately 2,000 physicians and 5,000 staff). The
Survey on Patient Safety and the PostSurvey 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 350 participating medical offices. Each survey will require
approximately 15 minutes to complete. The total annualized burden for
the medical offices to participate in this project is estimated to be 3,588 hours.
Exhibit 2 shows the estimated cost burden to participate in this project. The total annualized cost burden, based on the burden hours and hourly rates of the physicians and staff, is estimated at $99,368. Exhibit 1Estimated Annualized Burden Hours Number of Survey name Number of responses per Hours per Total burden respondents respondent response hours Survey on Patient Safety (SOPS)................. 350 20 15/60 1,750 Office Characteristics Survey................... 350 1 15/60 88 PostSurvey Evaluation.......................... 350 20 15/60 1,750
Total....................................... 1,050 na na 3,588 Exhibit 2Estimated Annualized Cost Burden Average Survey name Number of Total burden hourly wage Total cost respondents hours rate * burden Survey on Patient Safety (SOPS)................. 350 1,750 $27.44 $48,020 Office Characteristics Survey................... 350 88 37.82 3,328 PostSurvey Evaluation.......................... 350 1,750 27.44 48,020
Total....................................... 1,050 3,588 na 99,368 * For the SOPS and PostSurvey 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 abovecited 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: September 9, 2008.
Carolyn M. Clancy,
Director.
[FR Doc. E821822 Filed 91808; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 416090M
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT
Doris Lefkowitz, AHRQ Reports Clearance Officer, (301) 4271477, or by email at
doris.lefkowitz@ahrq.hhs.gov.