[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 207 (Friday, October 24, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 63476-63477]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-25044]


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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: ``The AHRQ Data Inventory.'' In accordance with the Paperwork 
Reduction Act of 1995, 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 23, 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

``The AHRQ Data Inventory''

    The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) is interested 
in determining the availability of regularly collected administrative 
and other data collection initiatives about outpatient health service 
utilization. AHRQ seeks to better understand issues in developing data 
collection initiatives, redundancies in these initiatives, uses of 
available data, gaps in available information, similarities across data 
projects, and areas for possible collaboration and coordination. AHRQ's 
initial focus is on those data sets that would inform healthcare 
providers, policymakers, and consumers about outpatient health service 
utilization and episodes of care.
    The primary purpose of this information collection is to 
comprehensively document outpatient health care data collection 
initiatives in the 50 states, the District of Columbia, and other 
geographic units. Information being collected about the data sets is 
not readily available to the public. In-depth information about the 
data sets will provide guidance to AHRQ on the potential synergy across 
such initiatives and suggest how the information can inform Federal, 
State, and local health care policymakers, clinicians, and consumers. 
Information collected during the interviews will comprehensively 
document outpatient health care data collection initiatives.
    This project is important for several reasons. First, many data 
collection initiatives exist or are in the planning stages, but there 
is limited collaboration and synthesis among initiatives. With limited 
resources and common goals, it is imperative to understand the issues 
in developing data collection initiatives, redundancies in such 
initiatives, and gaps in available information. Second, with the 
increasing costs of health care, it has become more important than ever 
to use health services efficiently, yet care and information about care 
is often collected and delivered in isolation without coordination 
across sites or providers of care. The results of this project will 
provide AHRQ and other policymakers with the information they need to 
serve as a catalyst to promote coordinated standardization, reduce 
redundancies, identify gaps in information, and assist in further 
development of needed data efforts.
    This project is being conducted pursuant to AHRQ's statutory 
mandates to (1) Promote health care quality improvement by conducting 
and supporting research that develops and presents scientific evidence 
regarding all aspects of health care, including the costs and 
utilization of, and access to, health care and the ways in which health 
care services are organized, delivered, and financed (42 U.S.C. 
299(b)(1)(D) and (E)); (2) conduct and support research on health care 
and on systems for the delivery of such care (42 U.S.C. 299a(a)); and 
(3) conduct and support research to advance the creation of effective 
linkages between various sources of health information (42 U.S.C. 299b-
3(a)(3)).

Method of Collection

    The survey will be initiated with an e-mail message from AHRQ to 
managers/administrators of each data set selected for inclusion in the 
Inventory. Data sets listed in the inventory were identified from a 
search of Web-based information about outpatient and ambulatory patient 
care data sets. The initial contact will be followed by an e-mail 
distribution of a cover letter and the questionnaire. The cover letter 
will include information about the purpose of the study, reason 
respondents are being contacted, information about the nondisclosure of 
their responses, and a request to have respondents review information 
captured from the Internet about their data sets. In addition, 
respondents will be informed that they have the option to complete and 
return the questionnaire electronically or participate in a telephone 
interview. Respondents who do not return their questionnaires by the 
requested time will get an e-mail reminder. The e-mail reminder will be 
followed by a telephone reminder.

[[Page 63477]]

Estimated Annual Respondent Burden

    Exhibit 1 shows the estimated annual burden hours for the 
respondent's time to participate in this project. A maximum of 80 
respondents will complete the survey questionnaire which will require 
about 45 minutes to complete. The total estimated burden hours for this 
information collection is 60 hours.
    Exhibit 2 shows the estimated cost burden based on the respondent's 
time to participate in this project. The total cost burden is 
approximately $2,993.

                                  Exhibit 1--Estimated Annualized Burden Hours
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                                                                     Number of
                    Form name                        Number of     responses per     Hours per     Total burden
                                                    respondents     respondent       response          hours
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 Inventory Survey...............................              80               1           45/60              60
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     Total......................................              80               1              NA              60
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                                   Exhibit 2--Estimated annualized 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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 Inventory Survey...............................              80              60          $49.89          $2,993
                                                 ---------------------------------------------------------------
     Total......................................              80              60              NA           2,993
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* Based upon the mean of general and operations managers (11-1021), National Compensation Survey: Occupational
  wages in the United States 2007, U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Estimated Annual Costs to the Federal Government

    This one-year project is estimated to cost the government $136,000. 
Exhibit 3 details the costs associated with this project, which include 
$11,000 for project development, $72,500 for data collection and 
analysis, $12,000 for preparing reports, $20,000 for project management 
and $21,000 for overhead.

                        Exhibit 3--Project Costs
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                    Cost component                         Total cost
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 Project Development.................................         $11,000.00
 Data Collection and Analysis........................          72,500.00
 Preparation of Reports..............................          12,000.00
 Project Management..................................          20,000.00
 Overhead............................................          21,000.00
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     Total...........................................         136,500.00
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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 14, 2008.
Carolyn M. Clancy,
Director.
 [FR Doc. E8-25044 Filed 10-23-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4160-90-M