[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 125 (Wednesday, June 29, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 38180-38181]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-16351]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

[60-Day 11-0278]


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 Daniel Holcomb, 
CDC 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 Ambulatory Medical Care Survey (NHAMCS) (OMB No. 
0920-0278) -- 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 
``utilization of health care'' in the United States. The National 
Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey (NHAMCS) has been conducted 
annually since 1992. NCHS is seeking OMB approval to extend this survey 
for an additional three years, automate data collection, add an 
additional sample of 60 hospitals and collect additional information 
through supplements.
    The purpose of NHAMCS is to meet the needs and demands for 
statistical information about the provision of ambulatory medical care 
services in the United States. Ambulatory services are rendered in a 
wide variety of settings, including physicians' offices and hospital 
outpatient and emergency departments. The target universe of the NHAMCS 
is in-person visits made to outpatient departments (OPDs), emergency 
departments (EDs), and ambulatory surgery locations (ASLs) of non-
Federal, short-stay hospitals (hospitals with an average length of stay 
of less than 30 days) or those whose specialty is general (medical or 
surgical) or children's, as well as visits to freestanding ambulatory 
surgery centers (FS-ASCs).
    NHAMCS was initiated to complement the National Ambulatory Medical 
Care Survey (NAMCS, OMB No. 0920-0234), which provides similar data 
concerning patient visits to physicians' offices. NAMCS and NHAMCS are 
the principal sources of data on ambulatory care provided in the United 
States.
    NHAMCS provides a range of baseline data on the characteristics of 
the users and providers of hospital ambulatory medical care. Data 
collected include patients' demographic characteristics, reason(s) for 
visit, providers' diagnoses, diagnostic services, medications, and 
disposition. These data, together with trend data, may be used to 
monitor the effects of change in the health care

[[Page 38181]]

system, for the planning of health services, improving medical 
education, determining health care work force needs, and assessing the 
health status of the population.
    NHAMCS data collection will be automated. Induction interviews and 
patient record information will be entered on secure laptops. This 
effort will greatly reduce paperwork and will increase efficiency in 
data processing. Data collection activities, including questions asked, 
will be similar to current procedures.
    In 2012, NHAMCS will sample an additional 60 hospitals in order to 
obtain state-based estimates on emergency department characteristics in 
five states. This additional sample is part of an effort sponsored by 
the Department of Health and Human Services' Office of the Assistant 
Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR), to better monitor the 
role of EDs and the care that they provide as health care reform in the 
United States proceeds. State-based estimates will provide both 
baseline and ongoing information about the status of EDs and ED care as 
policy changes are implemented.
    NHAMCS will also conduct an asthma management supplement, a 
lookback module, and a pretest of colorectal cancer screening 
questions. The asthma supplement will collect information on the 
clinical decisions providers make when confronted with a patient 
suffering from asthma. The lookback module will collect additional 
information from the 12 month period prior to a sampled OPD visit, 
which will identify risk factors and clinical management of patients 
with conditions that put them at high risk for heart disease and 
stroke. Finally, a small pretest in hospital-based ASLs and 
freestanding ASCs will assess the feasibility of obtaining information 
on colorectal cancer screening during ambulatory surgery visits where a 
colonoscopy is performed.
    Users of NHAMCS data include, but are not limited to, congressional 
offices, Federal agencies, state and local governments, schools of 
public health, colleges and universities, private industry, nonprofit 
foundations, professional associations, clinicians, researchers, 
administrators, and health planners. There are no costs to the 
respondents other than their time.

                                                            Estimated Annualized Burden Table
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                                                                                                             Number of      Avg. burden
               Type of respondent                                  Form                      Number of     responses per   per  response   Total Burden
                                                                                            respondents     respondent       (in hrs)          Hours
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Hospital Chief Executive Officer...............  Hospital Induction Interview...........             542               1             1.5             813
Ambulatory Surgery Center Executive Officer....  Freestanding Ambulatory Surgery Center              200               1             1.5             300
                                                  Induction Interview.
Ancillary Service Executive....................  Clinic Induction.......................           2,000               1           15/60             500
Physician/Registered Nurse/Medical Record Clerk  ED Patient Record Form.................             113             100            7/60            1318
Physician/Registered Nurse/Medical Record Clerk  OPD Patient Record Form................              78             200            9/60            2340
Physician/Registered Nurse/Medical Record Clerk  ASC Patient Record Form................             108             100            7/60            1260
Medical Record Clerk...........................  Medical Records Clerk..................             893             133            1/60            1979
Physician/Physician Assistant/Nurse              Asthma Supplement......................             250               1           15/60              63
 Practitioner.
                                                --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Total......................................  .......................................  ..............  ..............  ..............           8,573
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Daniel Holcomb,
Reports Clearance Officer, Office of the Chief Science Office. Centers 
for Disease Control and Prevention.
[FR Doc. 2011-16351 Filed 6-28-11; 8:45 am]
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