[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 175 (Friday, September 11, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Pages 46776-46777]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-21914]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

[60Day-09-0212]


Proposed Data Collections Submitted for Public Comment and 
Recommendations

    In compliance with the requirement of Section 3506(c)(2)(A) of the 
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 for opportunity for public comment on 
proposed data collection projects, the Centers for Disease Control and 
Prevention (CDC) will publish periodic summaries of proposed projects. 
To request more information on the proposed projects or to obtain a 
copy of the data collection plans and instruments, call the CDC Reports 
Clearance Officer at 404-639-5960 or send comments to CDC/ATSDR 
Assistant Reports Clearance Officer, 1600 Clifton Road, MS-D74, 
Atlanta, GA 30333 or send an e-mail to [email protected].
    Comments are invited on: (a) Whether the proposed collection of 
information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of 
the agency, including whether the information shall have practical 
utility; (b) the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden 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 through the use of automated collection techniques or other 
forms of information technology. Written comments should be received 
within 60 days of this notice.

Proposed Project

    National Hospital Discharge Survey (NHDS) (OMB 0920-0212 
exp. 10/31/2011)--Revision--National Center for Health Statistics 
(NCHS), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Background and Brief Description

    Section 306 of the Public Health Service (PHS) Act (42 U.S.C. 
242k), as amended, authorizes that the Secretary of Health and Human 
Services (DHHS), acting through NCHS, shall collect statistics on the 
extent and nature of illness and disability of the population of the 
United States. This three-year clearance request includes the data 
collection for 2010, 2011, and 2012 of the redesigned National Hospital 
Discharge Survey.
    The National Hospital Discharge Survey (NHDS) has been conducted 
continuously by the National Center for Health Statistics, CDC, since 
1965. It is the principal source of data on inpatient utilization of 
short-stay, non-Federal hospitals and is the principal annual source of 
nationally representative estimates on the characteristics of 
discharges, lengths of stay, diagnoses, surgical and non-surgical 
procedures, and patterns of use of care in hospitals in various regions 
of the country. It is the benchmark against which special programmatic 
data sources are measured.
    Although the current NHDS is still fulfilling its intended 
functions, it is based on concepts from the health care delivery 
system, as well as the hospital and patient universes, of previous 
decades. It has become clear that a redesign of the NHDS that provides 
greater depth of information is necessary. Consequently, 2010 will 
serve as the last year in which the current NHDS will be fielded. 
Meanwhile, the redesigned NHDS is scheduled to begin in 2010.
    Due to budgetary constraints, the new sample of 240 hospitals drawn 
for the redesigned NHDS will be phased in over two years. In 2010, data 
collection will begin in 80 sampled hospitals. Data collection for 
those initial 80 sites will continue into 2011 with the addition of 
another 160 sampled hospitals, for a grand total of 240. All 240 
hospitals will be designated to participate in the 2012 survey. Within 
each sampled hospital, a stratified, random sample of 120 discharges 
will be targeted. In the redesigned survey all data will be abstracted 
by trained health care staff under contract. All data will be obtained 
from hospital records and charts and computer systems.
    The data items to be collected in the redesigned NHDS will include 
significant additional details. Patient level data items to be 
collected include basic demographic information as well as personal 
identifiers, such as Social Security Number (last 4 digits), name and 
medical record number; clinical laboratory results, such as hematocrit 
and white blood cell count; and financial billing and medical record 
data. Facility level data items include demographic information, 
clinical capabilities, and financial information.
    Users of NHDS data include, but are not limited to CDC, 
Congressional Research Office, Office of the Assistant Secretary for 
Planning and Evaluation (ASPE), American Health Care Association, 
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), and Bureau of the 
Census. Data collected through NHDS are essential for evaluating health 
status of the population, for the planning of programs and policy to 
elevate the health status of the Nation, for studying morbidity trends, 
and for research activities in the health field. NHDS data have been 
used extensively in the development and monitoring of goals for the 
Year 2000 and 2010 Healthy People Objectives. In addition, NHDS data 
provide annual updates for numerous tables in the Congressionally-
mandated NCHS report, Health, United States. Other users of these data 
include universities, contract research organizations, many in the 
private sector, foundations, and a variety of users in the print media. 
There is no

[[Page 46777]]

cost to respondents other than their time to participate.

                                        Estimated Annualized Burden Hours
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                                                                     Number of    Average burden
             Form                  Respondents       Number of     responses per   per response    Total burden
                                                    respondents     respondent      (in hours)         hours
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
CURRENT NHDS 2010:
    Primary Procedure Hospital  Medical Coder...               7              12           25/60              35
     (PPH) Sample Listing
     Sheet.
    PPH Medical Abstract Form.  Medical Coder...               7             250            5/60             146
    PPH Transmittal Notice....  Medical Coder...               7              12            1/60               1
    Alternate Procedure         Medical Coder...              20             250            1/60              83
     Hospital--Locating
     medical records.
    In-House Tape or Printout   Medical Coder...              14              12           13/60              36
     Hospital--Computer
     programming and
     submission.
    Hospital Interview          Hospital CEO/CFO               5               1               2              10
     Questionnaire.
REDESIGNED NHDS 2010-2012:
    Survey presentation to      Hospital CEO/CFO              80               1               1              80
     hospital.
    Induction (including        Director of                   80               1               4             320
     initial facility            health
     questionnaire).             information
                                 management.
    Post induction annual       Director of                  107               1               2             214
     facility questionnaire.     health
                                 information
                                 management.
    Sample hospital             Director of                  187             120           14/60           5,236
     discharges, obtain UB-04    health
     & payment data.             information
                                 management.
    Verify sampling & re-       Director of                   26              10            7/60              30
     abstract medical records.   health
                                 information
                                 management.
                                                 ---------------------------------------------------------------
        Total.................  ................  ..............  ..............  ..............           6,191
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    Dated: September 2, 2009.
Maryam I. Daneshvar,
Acting Reports Clearance Officer, Centers for Disease Control and 
Prevention.
[FR Doc. E9-21914 Filed 9-10-09; 8:45 am]
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