[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 248 (Friday, December 28, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 73825-73826]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 07-6187]


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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, HHS.

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) approve the proposed information collection 
project: ``Evaluation of the Effectiveness of AHRQ's Grant-Supported 
Research on Healthcare Costs, Productivity, and Market Forces.'' 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 February 26, 2008.

ADDRESSES: Written comments should be submitted to: Doris Lefkowitz, 
Reports Clearance Officer, AHRQ, by E-mail at 
[email protected].
    Copies of the proposed collection plans, data collection 
instruments, and specific details on the estimated burden can be 
obtained from the AHRQ Reports Clearance Officer.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Doris Lefkowitz, AHRQ Reports 
Clearance Officer, (301) 427-1477 or by E-mail at 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Proposed Project

    ``Evaluation of the Effectiveness of AHRQ's Grant-Supported 
Research on Healthcare Costs, Productivity, and Market Forces''
    The proposed information collection will support AHRQ's efforts to 
systematically review the effectiveness of its grant-supported research 
on healthcare costs, productivity, and market forces since the late 
1990s. In the first phase of its ongoing evaluation, AHRQ determined it 
had funded 149 grants in the area of cost, productivity, organization 
and market forces since the late 1990s (Krissik, Lake and Gold, 2007). 
Prior to this proposed information collection, no evaluation of these 
grants and their effects has been conducted. Collecting such 
information through a survey of the 149 grantees will assist AHRQ in 
its mission of supporting the synthesis and dissemination of available 
scientific evidence for use by patients, consumers, practitioners, 
providers, purchasers, policymakers, and educators. The survey will 
provide information on grant activities that is not currently 
available, including up-to-date information on grantee dissemination 
activities and feedback on AHRQ's role in supporting research and 
dissemination.
    A survey of the universe of grantees who were funded to carry out 
the above-described health services research work offers a rational and 
scientific approach to collecting data on the impact of AHRQ's research 
in this area that is otherwise not currently available. The survey will 
be an integral part of AHRQ's overall evaluation, which attempts to 
describe the research and the pathways through which research findings 
that it has supported are disseminated and used. The survey interviews 
principal investigators about their grant research projects and will 
capture data that systematically track grant outcomes, providing 
information on: (1) The main substantive findings from the work and the 
ways they have been communicated; (2) known impacts of the work to 
date; (3) linkage of work to other research in the field; (4) grantee 
ratings of the support that AHRQ provided before, during, and after 
award and how AHRQ services for grantees could be improved; and, (5) 
grantee perceptions of AHRQ's role in research funding in this area and 
how sponsor interest influences the topics that are addressed.

Method of Collection

    A web-based questionnaire will be used to conduct the survey with 
AHRQ grantees. A self-administered mode was selected for this survey 
because respondents may need to look up information in order to answer 
some questions. A self-administered mode allows respondents to complete 
the survey at their own pace and schedule. If requested, a hardcopy of 
the

[[Page 73826]]

questionnaire will be mailed to the respondent.

                                       Estimated Annual Respondent Burden
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                                                                     Number of
                    Form Name                        Number of     responses per     Hours per     Total burden
                                                    respondents     respondent       response          hours
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AHRQ Grantee Survey.............................             149               1               2             298
Total...........................................             149              na              na             298
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                                   Estimated Annualized Respondent Cost Burden
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                                                     Number of     Total burden   Average hourly    Total cost
                    Form Name                       respondents        hours        wage rate*        burden
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AHRQ Grantee Survey.............................             149             298          $42.98         $12,808
Total...........................................             149             298              na        $12,808
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*Based upon the mean of the average wages for teachers (college and university), National Compensation Survey:
  Occupational Wages in the United States 2005, U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Estimated Annual Costs to the Federal Government

    The proposed information collection is part of a larger evaluation 
of the effectiveness of AHRQ's grant-supported research on healthcare 
costs, productivity, and market forces, which includes a systematic 
review of the research that AHRQ has funded, in-depth interviews with 
grantees and grant document review, case studies to assess the effects 
and dissemination pathways of market forces research, and preparation 
of reports and briefings. The cost to conduct the survey of identified 
grantees is $38,962.

Request for Comments

    In accordance with the above-cited Paperwork Reduction Act 
legislation, comments on the AHRQ information collection proposal are 
requested with regard to any of the following: (a) Whether the proposed 
collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of 
functions of the Agency, including whether the information will have 
practical utility; (b) the accuracy of the Agency's estimate of the 
burden (including hours and costs) 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 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.

    Dated: December 17, 2007.
Carolyn M. Clancy,
Director.
[FR Doc. 07-6187 Filed 12-27-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4160-90-M