[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 205 (Tuesday, October 24, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 62266-62267]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 06-8831]


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

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, Department of 
Health and Human Services.

ACTION:  Notice.

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

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) allow the proposed information collection 
project: ``Evaluation of the Implementation and Impact of Pay-for-
Quality Programs.'' In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 
1995, Public Law 104-13 (44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A)), AHRQ invites the 
public to comment on this proposed information collection.

DATES: Comments on this notice must be received by December 26, 2006.

ADDRESSES: Written comments should be submitted to: Doris Lefkowitz, 
Reports Clearance Officer, AHRQ, 540 Gaither Road, Room  5036, 
Rockville, MD 20850.
    Copies of the proposed collection plans, data collection 
instruments, and specific details on the estimated burden can be 
obtained from AHRQ's Reports Clearance Officer.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Doris Lefkowitz, AHRQ, Reports 
Clearance Officer, (301) 427-1477.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Proposed Project

    ``Evaluation of the Implementation and Impact of Pay-for-Quality 
(P4Q) Programs.''
    The P4Q Evaluation is a multi-method research project designed to 
evaluate the implementation and impact of P4Q programs on physicians 
across three programs operating in health care safety net settings. The 
P4Q programs participating in the evaluation are offering their health 
care providers financial incentives to achieve predefined quality 
targets. Data collected as part of this evaluation will have direct 
operational relevance to

[[Page 62267]]

payers and providers regarding the value and challenges of P4Q programs 
in safety net settings. The P4Q evaluation is designed to assess 
whether P4Q programs in such settings appear to improve quality on the 
measures that are the focus of the programs and also whether the 
programs lead to unintended consequences. the P4Q evaluation will also 
seek to identify design and implementation practices that are likely to 
increase as well as decrease the risks of negative outcomes resulting 
from the implementation of P4Q programs in safety net settings.
    Data collection in the P4Q evaluation will be approved by the 
Boston University's Medical Campus Institutional Review Board. It will 
be conducted in accordance with the Health Insurance Protection and 
Portability Act (HIPAA) Privacy Rule and with the Protection of Human 
Subjects regulations, 45 CFR part 46. In addition, the identifiable 
data collected in this study about provider organizations and 
individuals will only be used for the above-stated purposes and will be 
protected in accordance with the AHRQ confidentiality statute, section 
934(c) of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 299c-3(c)).

Methods of Collection

    The evaluation will use several methods to examine P4Q programs in 
safety net settings, including a survey and key informant interviews. 
Survey data will be obtained from physicians participating in P4Q 
programs using a confidential mailed questionnaire. The key informant 
interviews will consist of 35-minute semi-structured interviews with 
physician organization executives, practice leaders, physicians, and 
other senior managers in each study setting regarding program design, 
implementation, and impact. The research project investigators will 
interview up to six informants at each site.

Estimated Annual Respondent Burden

    The table below indicates that total time burden required to obtain 
all of the data required to meet the study's objectives. It does not 
include time required to analyze the data and prepare it for reporting 
and publication.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                  Number of     Estimated time      Estimated       Estimated
      Type of respondent          Number of     responses per   per  respondent   total burden    annual cost to
                                 respondents     respondent         (hours)          (hours)      the government
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Physicians...................             216               1  0.25 hours (15                54  $5,322.12 to
                                                                minutes).                         cover costs of
                                                                                                  responding to
                                                                                                  survey.
Practice executives and other              24               1  0.58 hours (35                14  $841.35 to
 senior managers.                                               minutes).                         cover costs of
                                                                                                  participating
                                                                                                  in in-person
                                                                                                  interviews.
                                                                                --------------------------------
    Total....................  ..............  ..............  ................              68  $6,163.47
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Estimated Costs to the Federal Government

    The total cost to the government for this activity is estimated to 
be $193,941. This funding will be used to support survey administration 
costs, salary and fringe benefits for the research team relating to the 
design and administration of the survey and informant interviews, and 
costs for two members of the research team to travel to each site for 
the informant interviews. The project will attempt to minimize burden 
to physician survey respondents by distributing surveys at medical 
staff meetings.

Request for Comments

    In accordance with the above-cited 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 and health care 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: October 10, 2006.
Carolyn M. Clancy,
Director.
[FR Doc. 06-8831 Filed 10-23-06; 8:45am]
BILLING CODE 4160-90-M