[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 162 (Monday, August 23, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 51831-51832]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-20679]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality


Request for Measures of Health Plan Efforts To Address Health 
Plan Members' Health Literacy Needs

AGENCY: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), DHHS.

ACTION: Notice of request for measures.

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SUMMARY: The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) is 
soliciting the submission of instruments or items that measure how well 
health plans and health providers address health plan enrollees' health 
literacy needs and how well they communicate with health plan 
enrollees. This initiative is in response to the need identified by 
AHRQ to develop a new supplemental item set (the ``new instrument'') 
for addressing health literacy for the CAHPS[supreg] Health Plan 
Survey. The intent of the planned survey is to gain patients' 
perspective on how well health and health plan information is 
communicated to them by healthcare professionals and health plans. The 
results of the planned survey may become an important source of 
information for health plans, clinicians, group practices, and other 
interested parties assessing quality of health information or planning 
changes in how health plan information is delivered to health plan 
enrollees.
    Based on prior work, there are several functional areas that the 
new instrument could address. Depending on the communication mode, the 
new instrument could assess, for example, clarity and simplicity of 
provided health information related to: (a) Preventive services (e.g., 
risks and benefits of the service, explanation of screening results); 
(b) health problems/concerns (e.g., information on how to stay healthy 
or prevent illness); (c) treatment choices, instructions, or goals 
(e.g., pros and cons of each option); (d) medications (e.g., reason for 
taking medications, instructions on how to take medications, possible 
side effects); and, (e) care management/disease management. A survey 
using the new instrument may also assess the quality of services 
supporting health information delivery such as language access (e.g., 
availability and timeliness of customer service and interpreter 
services in other languages, availability of forms and patient 
education materials in other languages), the quality and accessibility 
of member services and nurse advice lines, the quality and 
accessibility of health plan information on coverage, benefits, and 
billing information (including availability in other languages), health 
plan system navigation and health plan environment (language access and 
assistance in completing medical paperwork or forms, signage).

DATES: Please submit instruments and supporting information on or 
before October 22, 2010. AHRQ will not respond individually to 
submitters, but will consider all submitted instruments and publicly 
report the results of the review of the submissions in aggregate.

ADDRESSES: Submissions should include a brief cover letter, a copy of 
the instrument or items for consideration and supporting information as 
specified under the Submission Criteria below. Submissions may be in 
the form of a letter or e-mail, preferably with an electronic file as 
an E-mail attachment. Responses to this request should be submitted to:
    Cindy Brach, Center for Delivery, Organization, and Markets, Agency 
for Healthcare Research and Quality, 540 Gaither Road, Room 5129, 
Rockville, MD 20850, Phone: (301) 427-1444, Fax: (301) 427-1430, E-
mail: [email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Cindy Brach, at the address above.

Submission Criteria

    Instruments and items submitted should focus on patients' 
perspective on quality of health and health plan information provided 
by health plans, clinicians, and/or group practices.
    Measures submitted must meet these criteria to be considered: (a) 
Assess patients' or their caregivers' experiences receiving health and 
health plan information and (b) demonstrate substantial reliability and 
validity. Submitters must agree to grant to the Government a 
nonexclusive, irrevocable, royalty-free right to use, distribute to the 
public, reproduce and create derivative works from the proffered 
instruments, items or their arrangement. AHRQ must have the right to 
freely use and authorize others to use the new instrument, which will 
be distributed under the CAHPS[supreg] trademark. The new instrument 
will combine the best features of all the submissions as well as any 
ideas that may develop from reviewing them. AHRQ, in collaboration with 
CAHPS grantees, will evaluate all submitted instruments or items. As 
they construct the CAHPS instrument, they may select one or more 
proffered instruments and their items either in whole or in part or 
modify the items prior to testing them. AHRQ will own and assume 
responsibility for new instrument as well as any future modifications 
to it. The new instrument will bear the CAHPS[supreg] trademark and it 
will be made freely available for use by all interested parties.
    Each submission should include the following information: The name 
of the instrument, domains included, language(s) the instrument is 
available in, evidence of cultural/cross group comparability, if any, 
instrument reliability (internal consistency, test-retest, etc.), 
validity (content, construct, criterion-related), response rates, 
methods and results of cognitive interviews/testing and field-testing 
and description of sampling strategies (including payer type) and data 
collection protocols, including such elements as mode of 
administration, use of advance letters, timing and frequencies of 
contacts. In addition, a list of where the instrument has been fielded 
should also be included in the submission. Submission of copies of 
existing report formats developed to disclose findings to consumers and 
providers is desirable, but not required. Additionally, information 
about existing database(s) for the instrument(s) submitted is helpful, 
but not required for submission. Evidence of the criteria should be 
demonstrated through publication and submission of peer-reviewed 
journal article(s) or through the best evidence available at the time 
of submission. Please include citations of peer-reviewed journal 
articles.
    To facilitate handling of submissions, please include full 
information about the instrument developer or contact: (a) Name; (b) 
title; (c) organization; (d) mailing address; (e) telephone number; (f) 
fax number; and (g) e-mail address.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    The CAHPS program was initiated in 1995 to develop a survey and 
report on the consumers' perspective on the quality of their health 
plans. Since that time, the CAHPS program in partnership with CMS and 
others has expanded its scope and developed surveys and reports 
regarding individual clinicians, group practices, in-center 
hemodialysis services, nursing

[[Page 51832]]

homes and hospitals. AHRQ determined that the CAHPS teams should 
develop a survey to obtain the consumers' perspective on the quality of 
health information. The CAHPS program is conducted pursuant to AHRQ's 
statutory authority to conduct and support research and disseminate 
information on health care and on systems for the delivery of such 
care, including activities with respect to: The quality, effectiveness, 
efficiency, appropriateness and value of health care services; quality 
measurement and improvement; the outcomes, cost, cost-effectiveness, 
and use of health care services and access to such services; and health 
statistics, surveys, database development, and epidemiology. See 42 
U.S.C. 299a(a)(1), (2), (3) and (8).
    The vision of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality is to 
foster health care research that helps the American health care system 
provide access to high-quality, cost effective services; be accountable 
and responsive to consumers and purchasers; and improve health status 
and quality of life. The CAHPS program was developed as a result of the 
AHRQ's vision. One of the components missing from the current 
measurement set is an assessment of patients' perspective on how well 
health plans, hospital, clinicians, and group practices address health 
literacy issues.

    Dated: August 10, 2010.
Carolyn M. Clancy,
Director.
[FR Doc. 2010-20679 Filed 8-20-10; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4160-90-M