[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 179 (Thursday, September 15, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 57046-57048]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-23543]


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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: ``Health Literacy Item Set Supplemental to CAHPS Health Plan 
Survey--Pretest of Proposed Questions and Methodology.'' In accordance 
with the Paperwork Reduction Act, 44 U.S.C. 3501-3521, AHRQ invites the 
public to comment on this proposed information collection.
    This proposed information collection was previously published in 
the Federal Register on July 7th, 2011 and allowed 60 days for public 
comment. No comments were received. The purpose of this notice is to 
allow an additional 30 days for public comment.

DATES: Comments on this notice must be received by October 17, 2011.

ADDRESSES: Written comments should be submitted to: AHRQ's OMB Desk 
Officer by fax at (202) 395-6974 (attention: AHRQ's desk officer) or by 
e-mail at [email protected] (attention: AHRQ's desk 
officer).
    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

Health Literacy Item Set Supplemental to CAHPS Health Plan Survey--
Pretest of Proposed Questions and Methodology

    The Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems 
(CAHPS[reg]) program is a multi-year initiative. AHRQ first launched 
the program in October 1995 in response to concerns about the lack of 
good information about the quality of health plans from the enrollees' 
perspective. Numerous public and private organizations collected 
information on

[[Page 57047]]

enrollee and patient satisfaction, but the surveys varied from sponsor 
to sponsor and often changed from year to year. The CAHPS[reg] program 
was designed to:
     Make it possible to compare survey results across sponsors 
and over time; and
     Generate tools and resources that sponsors can use to 
produce understandable and usable comparative information for 
consumers, health providers and for quality improvement purposes.
    Over time, the program has expanded beyond its original focus on 
health plans to address a range of health care services and to meet the 
various needs of health care consumers, purchasers, health plans, 
providers, and policymakers. Based on a literature review and an 
assessment of currently available questionnaires, AHRQ identified the 
need to develop a health literacy module for the CAHPS[reg] Health Plan 
Survey. The intent of the health literacy module is to examine health 
plan enrollees' perspectives on how well health information is 
communicated to them by health plans and by healthcare professionals in 
the health plan setting. The objective of the new module is to provide 
information to health plans, clinicians, group practices, and other 
interested parties regarding the quality of health information 
delivered to patients. The health literacy module will be pre-tested as 
a supplement to the CAHPS[reg] Health Plan Survey.
    This pre-test has the following goals:
    (1) Analysis of item wording--Assess candidate wordings for items.
    (2) Analysis of participation rate--Evaluate the overall response 
rate and the proportion of that obtained from mail versus telephone 
modes of data collection.
    (3) Case mix adjustment analysis--Evaluate variables that need to 
be considered for case mix adjustment of scores.
    (4) Psychometric Analysis--Provide information for the revision of 
the health literacy item set based on the assessment of the reliability 
and validity.
    (5) Dissemination of the CAHPS Health Plan Health Literacy 
supplemental item set.
    This study is being conducted by AHRQ through its contractor, the 
RAND Corporation, pursuant to AHRQ's statutory authority to conduct 
research and evaluations on health care and systems for the delivery of 
such care, including activities with respect to the quality, 
effectiveness, efficiency, appropriateness and value of health care 
services. See 42 U.S.C. 299a(a)(1).

Method of Collection

    To achieve the goals of this pre-test the CAHPS Health Plan Health 
Literacy Survey will be implemented with a sample of persons from the 
surveys' target population, consumers of health care services offered 
by health plans. The data from this pre-test will be used to refine the 
health literacy module questions and will ensure that the future data 
collection yield high quality data and ensure a minimization of 
respondent burden, increase agency efficiency, and improve 
responsiveness to the public. The survey items will be added to 
currently available CAHPS surveys and will enhance the ability of 
health plans and health professionals working in a health plan primary 
care setting to assess the quality of their services.

Estimated Annual Respondent Burden

    Exhibit 1 shows the estimated annualized burden for the 
respondents' time to participate in this data collection. About 1000 
persons will complete the CAHPS Health Plan Survey Health Literacy 
Module. The estimated response time of 25 minutes is based on the 
written length of the survey and AHRQ's experience with previous 
CAHPS[reg] surveys of comparable length that were fielded with similar 
samples. The total burden hours are estimated to be 417 hours.
    Exhibit 2 shows the respondents' cost burden associated with their 
time to participate in this data collection. The total cost burden is 
estimated to be $8,715.

                                  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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CAHPS Health Plan Health Literacy Module........            1000               1           25/60             417
                                                 ---------------------------------------------------------------
    Total.......................................            1000               1              na             417
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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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CAHPS Health Plan Health Literacy Survey........            1000             417          $20.90          $8,715
                                                 ---------------------------------------------------------------
    Total.......................................            1000             417              na           8,715
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*Based upon the average wages, ``National Compensation Survey: Occupational Wages in the United States, May
  2009,'' U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Estimated Annual Costs to the Federal Government

    Exhibit 3 shows the total and annualized cost to conduct this 
research. The total cost for this project is approximately $299,000. 
Since the data collection period is less than one year, the total and 
annualized costs are identical.

[[Page 57048]]



                  Exhibit 3--Estimated Annualized Cost
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                                                            Annualized
             Cost component                 Total cost         cost
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Review of literature....................         $20,000         $20,000
Cognitive interviews....................          60,000          60,000
Field test..............................          90,000          90,000
Data analyses...........................          40,000          40,000
Finalize survey.........................          39,000          39,000
AHRQ project management.................          50,000          50,000
                                         -------------------------------
    Total...............................         299,000         299,000
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Request for Comments

    In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act, 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 healthcare research and 
healthcare 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: Aug 31 2011.
Carolyn M. Clancy,
Director.
[FR Doc. 2011-23543 Filed 9-14-11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4160-90-M