[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 160 (Friday, August 17, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Pages 43229-43230]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-20742]


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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 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 
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 October 16, 
2001.

ADDRESSES: Written comments and recommendations on the information 
collection should be sent to LTC Thomas V. Williams, Ph.D., M.S., 
U.S.A., Dir., Program Evaluation TRICARE Management Activity; HPA&E, 
5111 Leesburg Pike, Suite 810, Falls Church, VA 22041.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Please refer to the information cited 
above.
    Title, Associated Form, and OMB Number: Military Health System 
(MHS) Provider Survey in Military Treatment Facilities (MTF).
    Needs and Uses: The purpose of this project is to design and pilot 
test a survey of direct care providers within Region 1 followed by a 
full deployment of the survey in future years. The MHS Provider Survey 
is intended to provide Department of Defense (DoD) with data that 
contributes to the delivery of high quality healthcare. The perspective 
of prescriptive providers has not been collected systematically despite 
their important role in delivering care within the constraints of 
limited resources and complicated guidelines. The first goal of this 
work is to gain insight of direct care providers who provide care at 
MTFs regarding the challenges associated with

[[Page 43230]]

treating patients under TRICARE. A survey instrument is needed that 
will capture information regarding provider opinions of how well 
TRICARE helps them provide patients with needed care. It will identify 
how administrative policies and practices of TRICARE health plan effect 
healthcare delivery. A second goal of this work is to collect 
information that indicates how the attitudes and opinions of physicians 
differ by specialty, region, and degree of participation with TRICARE. 
The survey data shall provide information needed to better plan, 
deliver, and evaluate health care services provided in the military 
health system (MHS).
    Affected Public: Individuals--Healthcare Providers in Military 
Treatment Facilities.
    Annual Burden Hours: 666.
    Number of Respondents: 2000.
    Responses Per Respondent: 1 per person.
    Average Burden Per Response: 20 minutes per survey.
    Frequency: One Time.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Summary of Information Collection

    This request encompasses all activities required to develop, pilot 
test and implement an instrument to assess the attitudes and opinions 
of MHS prescriptive providers regarding their ability to provide high 
quality care. Of particular interest is how TRICARE and other 
organizational factors contribute to the effort to practice medicine in 
the MHS.
    The survey will be designed to collect information from direct care 
TRICARE providers, focusing on providers who are licensed to practice 
independently. The provider groups surveyed will include physicians, 
nurse practitioners, physician assistants, and independent duty 
corpsmen all of whom are affiliated with Department of Defense (DoD) 
MTFs. Westat will conduct the information, analyze the results, and 
generate a report for the government. Activities include the collection 
and analyses of information obtained confidentially from providers 
(physicians, physician assistants, independent duty corpsmen, and nurse 
practitioners) within MTFs.

    Dated: August 13, 2001.
Patricia L. Toppings,
Alternate OSD Federal Register Liaison Officer, Department of Defense.
[FR Doc. 01-20742 Filed 8-16-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 5001-08-M