[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 98 (Thursday, May 21, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Page 27974]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-13476]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Office of the Secretary


Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collections; 
Comment Request

    The Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the 
Secretary will periodically publish summaries of proposed information 
collections projects and solicit public comments in compliance with the 
requirements of Section 3506(c)(2)(A) of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 
1995. To request more information on the project or to obtain a copy of 
the information collection plans and instruments, call the OS Reports 
Clearance Officer on (202) 690-6207.
    Comments are invited on: (a) Whether the proposed 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 
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 on respondents, 
including through the use of automated collection techniques or other 
forms of information technology.
    Proposed Projects 1. Study of Medicare Home Health Practice 
Variations--NEW--The Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and 
Evaluation is proposing a study which will examine how patient, 
provider, agency, market and regulatory factors affect variations in 
home health practice. A sample of 48 Medicare-certified home health 
agencies (from eight states) will be studied. Within each of these 
agencies, 24 patients (with congestive heart failure or diabetes) will 
be sampled. The results will identify agency characteristics and 
behaviors that are related to differences in lengths of stay for 
patients with similar risk factors.-- Respondents: For-profit, Non-
profit Institutions; Burden Information for the Administrator 
Questionnaire--Number of Respondents: 48; Burden per Response: 36 
minutes: Burden: 29 hours--Burden Information for the Care Provider 
Questionnaire--Number of Responses: 1152; Burden per Response: 1 hour: 
Burden: 1152 hours--Total Burden: 1181 hours.
    Send comments to Cynthia Agens Bauer, OS Reports Clearance Officer, 
Room 503H, Humphrey Building, 200 Independence Avenue S.W., Washington, 
DC, 20201. Written comments should be received within 60 days of this 
notice.

    Dated: May 11, 1998.
Dennis P. Williams,
Deputy Assistant Secretary, Budget.
[FR Doc. 98-13476 Filed 5-20-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4150-04-M