[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 234 (Thursday, December 6, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 68885-68887]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 07-5950]


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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.

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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 renewal of the generic 
information collection project: ``Questionnaire and Data Collection 
Testing, Evaluation, and Research for the Agency for Healthcare 
Research and Quality.'' 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.
    This proposed information collection was previously published in 
the Federal Register on August 15, 2007 and allowed 60 days for public 
comment. No comments were received. A 30-day Federal Register notice 
was published on October 19, 2007 to allow an additional 30 days for 
public comment. No comments were received. However, changes to the 
estimated annual respondent burden hours and the methodologies that 
will be used for the data collection require an additional 30 days for 
public comment.

DATES: Comments on this notice must be received by January 7, 2008.

ADDRESSES: Written comments should be submitted to: AHRQ's OMB Desk 
Officer by fax at (202) 395-6974 (attention: AHRQ's desk officer) or by 
e-mail at [email protected] (attention: AHRQ's desk 
officer).
    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

    ``Questionnaire and Data Collection Testing, Evaluation, and 
Research for the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.''
    AHRQ plans to employ the latest techniques to improve its current 
data collections by developing new surveys, or information collection 
tools and methods, and by revising existing collections in anticipation 
of, or in response to, changes in the healthcare field, for a three-
year period. The clearance request is limited to research on 
information collection tools and methods, and related reports and does 
not extend to the collection of data for public release.
    A generic clearance for this work allows AHRQ to draft and test

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information collection tools and methods more quickly, thereby managing 
project time more efficiently and improving the quality of the 
methodological data the agency collects.
    In some instances the ability to pre-test/pilot-test information 
collection surveys, tool and methods, in anticipation of work, or early 
in a project, may result in the decision not to proceed with particular 
survey activities. This would save both public and private resources 
and effectively eliminate or reduce respondent burden.
    Many of the tools AHRQ develops are made available to users in the 
private sector. The health care environment changes rapidly and 
requires a quick response from the agency to provide appropriately 
refined tools. A generic clearance for this methodological work will 
facilitate the agency's timely development of information collection 
tools and methods suitable for use in changing conditions.
    It is particularly important to refine AHRQ's tools because they 
have a widespread impact. This tools are frequently made available to 
help the private sector to improve health care quality by enabling the 
gathering of useful data for analysis. They are also used to provide 
information about health care quality to consumers and purchasers so 
that they can make marketplace choices to influence and improve health 
care quality. The current clearance will expire January 31, 2008. This 
is a request for a generic approval from OMB to test information 
collection instruments and methods over the next three years.

Methods of Collection

    Participation in the testing of information collection tools and 
methods will be fully voluntary and non-participation will have no 
affect on eligibility for, or receipt of, future AHRQ health services 
research support or on future opportunities to participate in research 
or to obtain information research results. Specific estimation 
procedures, when used, will be described when we notify OMB as to 
actual studies conducted under the clearance.

Estimated Annual Respondent Burden

                                  Exhibit 1.--Estimated Annualized Burden Hours
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                                                                Number of
     Type of information  collection          Number of       responses per       Hours per       Total burden
                                             respondents       respondent         response            hours
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Mail/e-mail*............................             8,000                 1             20/60             2,667
Telephone...............................               200                 1             40/60               134
Web-based...............................             2,000                 1             10/60               334
Focus Groups............................               100                 1               2.0               200
In-person...............................               200                 1               1.0               200
Automated**.............................               500                 1               1.0               500
Cognitive Lab Experiments...............               200                 1               1.5
                                         --------------------------------------------------------------------300
    Totals..............................            11,200                na                na             4,335
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* May include telephone non-response follow-up in which case the burden will not change.
** May include testing of database software, CAPI software or other automated technologies.


                                  Exhibit 2.--Estimated Annualized Cost Burden
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                                              Number of       Total burden     Average hourly      Total cost
     Type of information  collection         respondents          hours          wage rate*          burden
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Mail/e-mail*............................             8,000             2,667            $30.00           $80,010
Telephone...............................               200               134             30.00             4,020
Web-based...............................             2,000               334             30.00            10,020
Focus Groups............................               100               200             30.00             6,000
In-person...............................               200               200             30.00             6,000
Automated**.............................               500               500             30.00            15,000
Cognitive Lab Experiments...............               200               300             30.00             9,000
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    Totals..............................            11,200             4,335             30.00          130,050
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* May include telephone non-response follow-up in which case the burden will not change.
** May include testing of database software, CAPI software or other automated technologies.

    This information collection will not impose a cost burden on the 
respondents beyond that associated with their time to provide the 
required data. There will be no additional costs for capital equipment, 
software, computer services, etc.

Estimated Annual Costs to the Federal Government

    Information collections conducted under this generic clearance will 
in some cases be carried out under contract. Assuming four data 
collections per year (either mail/e-mail, telephone, web-based or in-
person) at an average cost of $150,000 each, and two focus groups, 
automated data collections or lab experiments at an average cost of 
$20,000 each, total contract costs could be $640,000 per year.

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.

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    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: November 29, 2007.
Carolyn M. Clancy,
Director.
[FR Doc. 07-5950 Filed 12-05-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4160-90-M