[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 228 (Monday, November 28, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 72955-72956]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-30548]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

National Institutes of Health


Proposed Collection; Comment Request: ``Ethical Dilemmas in 
Surgery and Utilization of Hospital Ethics Consultation Service: A 
Survey''

SUMMARY: 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 Department of Bioethics, the 
Clinical Center, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) will publish 
periodic summaries of proposed projects to be submitted to the Office 
of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval.

    Proposed Collection: Title: Ethical Dilemmas in Surgery and 
Utilization of Hospital Ethics Consultation Service: A Survey. Type of 
Information Collection Request: NEW. Need and Use of Information 
Collection: This survey is intended to collect information about the 
ethical dilemmas that surgeons have faced in their practices over the 
past year, and assess their experiences, if any, with their hospital 
consultation services. Specifically, the information gathered in this 
study will be valuable

[[Page 72956]]

in understanding the ethical dilemmas that surgeons face, the utility 
of institution ethics consultations services for surgeons, and to 
identify what barriers, if any, discourage surgeons from utilizing 
these services. The results of this study can be used by medical 
professionals, hospitals, and bioethicists in several important ways. 
First, they will provide a better understanding the ethical dilemmas 
that surgeons face in their practices. Second, they will provide 
understanding of factors that determine the current utilization of 
hospital consultation services by surgeons Third, information collected 
on the barriers to surgeons' use of ethics consultation services will 
provide better insight into the perspective and culture of surgery as 
it relates to ethical dilemmas in their practices and how ethics 
consultation services could better support surgeons when faced with 
these dilemmas. Frequency of Response: One occasion. Affected Public: 
Individuals. Type of Respondents: Surgeons practicing in the US. The 
annual reporting burden is as follows: Estimated Number of Respondents: 
3,156; Estimated Number of Responses per Respondent: 29 items per 
questionnaire; Average Burden Hours Per Response: 0.00862; and 
Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours Requested: 789. The annualized cost 
to respondents is estimated at: $0. There are no Capital Costs to 
report. There are no Operating or Maintenance Costs to report.

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                                                                Estimated
                                              Estimated         number of      Average burden    Estimated total
          Type of  respondents                number of       responses per       hours per       annual burden
                                             respondents       respondent         response       hours requested
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Surgeons................................              3156                29           0.00862               789
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    Total...............................  ................  ................  ................               789
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Request for Comments

    Written comments and/or suggestions from the public and affected 
agencies are invited on one or more of the following points: (1) 
Whether the proposed collection of information is necessary for the 
proper performance of the function of the agency, including whether the 
information will have practical utility; (2) The accuracy of the 
agency's estimate of the burden of the proposed collection of 
information, including the validity of the methodology and assumptions 
used; (3) Ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the 
information to be collected; and (4) Ways to minimize the burden of the 
collection of information on those who are to respond, including the 
use of appropriate automated, electronic, mechanical, or other 
technological collection techniques or other forms of information 
technology.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: To request more information on the 
proposed project or to obtain a copy of the data collection plans and 
instruments, contact Dr. Marion Danis at Department of Clinical 
Bioethics, National Institutes of Health, Building 10, Room 1C118, 
Bethesda, MD 20892-1156, Telephone: (301) 435-8727, Facsimile: (301) 
496-0760, or email your request, including your address to: 
[email protected].

Comments Due Date

    Comments regarding this information collection are best assured of 
having their full effect if received within 60 days of the date of this 
publication.

    Dated: November 6, 2011.
Laura M. Lee,
Special Assistant to the DDCC--Patient Safety and Clinical Quality 
Project Clearance Liaison, CC, National Institutes of Health.
[FR Doc. 2011-30548 Filed 11-25-11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4140-01-P