[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 22 (Tuesday, February 3, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 5506-5507]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-2507]


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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Office of the Secretary


Proposed Collection; Comment Request

AGENCY: Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health 
Affairs, DOD.

ACTION: Notice.

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    In accordance with Section 3506(c)(2)(A) of the Paperwork Reduction 
Act of 1995, the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for 
Health Affairs announces the proposed extension of a public information 
collection and seeks public comment on the provisions thereof. Comments 
are invited on: (a) Whether the proposed extension of collection of 
information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of 
the agency, including whether the information shall have practical 
utility; (b) the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden of the 
information collection; (c) ways to enhance the quality, utility, and 
clarity of the information to be collected; and (d) ways to minimize 
the burden of the information collection on respondents, including 
through the use of automated collection techniques or other forms of 
information technology.

DATES: Consideration will be given to all comments received by April 6, 
1998.

ADDRESSES: Written comments and recommendations on the information 
collection should be sent to Florida Atlantic University, Division of 
Sponsored Research, 777 Glades Road, Boca Raton, Florida 33431-0991.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
To request more information on this proposed information collection, 
please write to the above address or call Marilyn A. Ray, RN, Ph.D., 
Principal Investigator, Florida Atlantic University at (561) 297-2872.

    Title; Associated Form; and OMB Number: Econometric Analysis (I,II) 
of the Nurse-Patient Relationship.
    Needs and Uses: The survey information of the nurse-patient caring

[[Page 5507]]

relationship as an economic resource will be completed by registered 
nurses, people who have been patients in hospitals, and health care or 
nurse-executive administrators. The information is necessary to 
evaluate the economic value of the nurse-patient caring relationship 
and for the purposes of adequately allocating resources in the managed 
care, corporate, and competitive United States health care system.
    Affected Public: Individuals or household.
    Annual Burden Hours: 250.
    Number of Respondents: 500.
    Responses per Respondent: 1.
    Average Burden per Response: 30 minutes.
    Frequency: On occasion.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Summary of Information Collection

    Health care in the United States now exceeds 14% of the gross 
national product and for the society at large, health care has become 
too expensive. Managed health care is increasingly the norm and is 
expected to be operational nation-wide by the year 2000. Managed care 
consists of factors relating to cost containment, cost efficiency and 
management accountability outside and within health maintenance 
organizations and government organizations. Civilian managed care is 
based on market forces, is profit-driven and responds to shareholder 
demands. Professional nursing is impacted by the economic changes in 
the health care system. Decisions are being made by outside forces 
other than professional nurses about the nature and management of 
patient care. Increasingly, lower salaried, non-professional assistive 
personnel are being used in hospitals to care for patients. The quality 
of patient care is seriously affected.
    Registered Nurses are committed to continue to provide direct, 
quality care to patients. Health outcomes, such as, improved physical 
and emotional well-being are affected by direct, knowledgeable caring 
of the nurses. Overall, with the continuation of the use of Registered 
Nurses in direct care to patients, costs will decrease and the economic 
status of both for profit and not-for-profit hospitals in communities 
throughout the United States will improve. This survey will attain 
results to determine degree to which the nurse-patient relationship as 
an economic resource can be assessed in the contemporary managed health 
care system.

    Dated: January 28, 1998.
L.M. Bynum,
Alternate OSD Federal Register Liaison Officer, Department of Defense.
[FR Doc. 98-2507 Filed 2-2-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 5000-04-M