Federal Register: November 21, 2008 (Volume 73, Number 226)
DOCID: fr21no08-61 FR Doc E8-27522
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
NOTICE: NOTICES
DOCID: fr21no08-61
DOCUMENT ACTION: Notice.
SUBJECT CATEGORY:
Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; Comment Request
DATES: Comments on this notice must be received by December 10, 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) approve the proposed information collection project: ``Conducting Measurement Activities in Support of the AHRQ Health IT Initiative.'' 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 September 19th, 2008 and allowed 60 days for public comment. No 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
Conducting Measurement Activities in Support of the AHRQ Health IT Initiative
AHRQsupported research has helped to demonstrate the potential of health IT to enhance health care quality and patient safety. As the lead federal research agency on the quality, safety, efficiency, and effectiveness of health care in America, AHRQ plays a central role in efforts to increase the adoption of health IT.
[[Page 70650]]
Consistent with its mission, AHRQ proposes to develop measures of four indicators of performance of its health IT portfolio, namely:
1. Reduction in medication errors due to adoption of electronic prescribing systems;
2. The number of persons who can access their medication information online;
3. The number of clinicians who can electronically access evidence based prevention or treatment information; and
4. The number of clinician organizations who have adopted evidence based decision support technologies.
While secondary data are available to calculate measures 1, 3 and 4
described above, no national data exist for measure
This project is being conducted pursuant to AHRQ's statutory mandates to conduct and support research, evaluations and initiatives to advance information systems for health care improvement (42 U.S.C. 299b3) and to promote innovations in evidencebased health care practices and technologies by conducting and supporting research on the development, diffusion, and use of health care technology (42 U.S.C. 299b5(a)(1)).
Method of Collection
The data will be collected using a randomdigitdial (RDD) telephone survey of the U.S. adult population. To ensure a representative geographic distribution of the sample, the total sample will be allocated to each Census region in proportion to the total number of adults in each region. The survey will be administered in both English and Spanish.
Estimated Annual Respondent Burden
Exhibit 1 presents the estimated annualized burden hours for the respondents' time to participate in this project. The telephone survey will be completed by 1,000 respondents and is expected to require 12 minutes to complete. The cognitive pretest interviews, which are used to refine and validate the survey instrument, will be completed by 18 respondents (9 Englishspeaking and 9 Spanishspeaking) and are expected to last one hour. The total burden hours are estimated to be 218 hours.
Exhibit 2 shows the estimated annualized cost burden for the
respondents' time to participate in this project. The total cost burden is estimated to be $4,205.
Exhibit 1Estimated Annualized Burden Hours
Number of
Data collection Number of responses per Hours per Total burden
responses respondent response hours
Telephone Survey................................ 1000 1 12/60 200
Cognitive Pretest Interview..................... 18 1 1 18
Total....................................... 1018 na na 218 Exhibit 2Estimated Annualized Cost Burden Number of Total burden Average hourly Total cost Data collection respondents hours wage rate* burden Telephone Survey................................ 1000 200 $19.29 $3,858 Cognitive Pretest Interview..................... 18 18 19.29 347
Total....................................... 1018 218 na 4,205 * Based upon the mean of the average wages, 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
We are requesting approval for a onetime, one year, data
collection effort. The estimated cost of this data collection is
$310,067, which includes the cost of developing, administering and
analyzing the survey. Exhibit 3 details labor hours, operational
expenses (such as equipment, overhead, printing, and support staff),
and any other expenses that would not have been incurred without this collection of information.
Exhibit 3Annual Costs for the Estimate of the Number of Persons Who
Can Access Their Medication Information Online
Annual
Labor: 1,514 hours plus 42% fringe.......................... 123,998
Data collection: Interviewer training, sample purchase, 30,274
survey administration, data entry, toll calls..............
Other direct costs: Computer charge, telephone/fax/ 28,418
teleconference, printing and duplication, travel...........
Indirect costs: Regular overhead, 46.5%; G&A, 21%........... 101,775
Confract Fee................................................ 25,602
Total................................................... 310,067 [[Page 70651]]
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, quality improvement and 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: November 12, 2008.
Carolyn M. Clancy,
Director.
[FR Doc. E827522 Filed 112008; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 416090M
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT
Doris Lefkowitz, AHRQ Reports Clearance Officer, (301) 4271477, or by email at
doris.lefkowitz@ahrg.hhs.gov.