[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 184 (Friday, September 21, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Pages 48684-48685]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-23548]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality


Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; 
Comment Request

AGENCY: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, HHS.

ACTION: Notice.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: This notice announces the intention of the Agency for 
Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) to request the Office of 
Management and Budget (OMB) to allow the proposed information 
collection project: ``Voluntary Customer Surveys of ``Partners'' for 
the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.'' In accordance with 
the Paperwork Reduction Act as amended (see in particular 44 U.S.C. 
3506(c)(2)(A)), AHRQ invites the public to comment on this proposed 
information collection request to allow AHRQ to conduct these customer 
satisfaction surveys.

DATES: Comments on this notice must be received by November 20, 2001.

ADDRESSES: Written comments should be submitted to: Cynthia D. 
McMichael, Reports Clearance Officer, AHRQ, 2101 East Jefferson Street, 
Suite 500, Rockville, MD 20852-4908.
    All comments will become a matter of public record.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Cynthia D. McMichael, AHRQ, Reports 
Clearance Officer, (301) 594-3132.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

[[Page 48685]]

Proposed Project

Voluntary Customer Surveys of ``Partners'' of the Agency for Healthcare 
Research and Quality

    In response to Executive Order 12862, the Agency for Healthcare 
Research and Quality (AHRQ) plans to conduct voluntary customer surveys 
of ``partners'' to identify how well AHRQ is performing its functions 
with its partners and to use this information to determine the kind and 
quality of services they like and expect, their level of satisfaction 
with existing services, and to implement improvements where feasible 
and practical.
    AHRQ partners are typically health care payers, plans, practioners 
and providers, researchers, professional associations, AHRQ data 
suppliers, and State and local governments, as well as persons or 
entities that provide service to the public for AHRQ, e.g., 
dissemination of AHRQ publications by a ``middle man'' such as a 
professional society.
    Partner surveys to be conducted by AHRQ may include, for example, 
surveys of research grantees to measure satisfaction with technical 
assistance received from AHRQ. Results of these surveys will be used to 
assess and redirect resources and efforts needed to improve services. 
For example, the AHRQ's Office of Research Review, Education, and 
Policy (ORREP) provides grant funds for training of health services 
researchers. AHRQ would like to survey scholars whose training it has 
supported regarding their experience with respect to the AHRQ grant 
support they received.
    In addition, the Office of Health Care Information (OHCI) is 
proposing to survey one component of their customers: researchers. This 
proposed survey will be undertaken by a contractor to determine how 
AHRQ could better serve the research community. Questions asked may 
include a need for extended hours to answer inquiries on grant 
application--related matters or the development of a comprehensive 
manual on submission of grant applications.

Method of Collection

    The data will be collected using a combination of preferred 
methodologies appropriate to each survey. These methodologies are:
     Mail and telephone surveys;
     Electronic technologies; and
     Focus groups.
    The estimated annual hour burden is as follows:

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                                      Average
                                                                      No. of          burden/       Total hours
                         Type of survey                             respondents     response in      of burden
                                                                                      minutes
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Mail/Telephone Surveys/Electronic Technologies..................           9,400              20         3,133.3
Focus Groups....................................................             700            97.7            1140
 
    sTotals....................................................          10,100            25.4         4,273.3
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Request for Comments

    Comments are invited on: (a) The necessity of the proposed 
collections; (b) the accuracy of the Agency's estimate of burden 
(including hours and cost) 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 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 request for OMB approval of the proposed 
information collection. All comments will become a matter of public 
record.
    Copies of these proposed collection plans and instruments can be 
obtained from the AHRQ Reports Clearance Officer (see above).

    Dated: September 14, 2001.
John M. Eisenberg,
Director.
[FR Doc. 01-23548 Filed 9-20-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4160-90-M