[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 182 (Thursday, September 19, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 57638-57639]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-22732]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Office of the Secretary

[Document Identifier: HHS-OS-20475-60D]


Agency Information Collection Activities; Proposed Collection; 
Public Comment Request

AGENCY: Office of the Secretary, HHS.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: In compliance with section 3506(c)(2)(A) of the Paperwork 
Reduction Act of 1995, the Office of the Secretary (OS), Department of 
Health and Human Services, announces plans to submit a new Information 
Collection Request (ICR), described below, to the Office of Management 
and Budget (OMB). Prior to submitting that ICR to OMB, OS seeks 
comments from the public regarding the burden estimate, below, or any 
other aspect of the ICR.

DATES: Comments on the ICR must be received on or before November 18, 
2013.

ADDRESSES: Submit your comments to 
[email protected] or by calling (202) 690-6162.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Information Collection Clearance 
staff, [email protected] or (202) 690-6162.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: When submitting comments or requesting 
information, please include the document identifier HHS-OS-20475-60D 
for reference.
    Information Collection Request Title: Survey of Medical Care 
Providers for the Evaluation of the Regional Extension Center (REC) 
Program
    Abstract: This new, one-time data collection activity is needed to 
collect information from practices that are utilizing assistance from 
the Regional Extension Center program to implement and meaningfully use 
health information technology, as well as practices that are not 
working with a Regional Extension Center. The survey data will be 
analyzed to determine whether there is an association between REC 
participation and the use of technical assistance, EHR adoption, and 
achievement of meaningful use of electronic health records by primary 
care practices. The data will also be used to identify challenges faced 
by primary care practices when adopting and meaningfully using EHRs. 
The resulting data will inform policy decisions by the Office of the 
National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC), REC 
program administrators, and the broader community of policy makers and 
researchers interested in electronic health record (EHR) adoption.
    Need and Proposed Use of the Information: The Office of the 
National Coordinator for Health Information Technology has funded an 
independent national program evaluation of the Regional Extension 
Center program. The proposed information collection effort is necessary 
to collect information to answer the following research questions: (1) 
Is REC participation associated with adoption of EHRs and meaningful 
use of EHRs? (2) Is REC participation associated with attestation in 
the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Medicare and 
Medicaid incentive programs? (3) Is REC participation associated with 
satisfaction and positive opinions about EHRs? (4) Is REC participation 
associated with use of assistance services? (5) Is REC participation 
associated with experiencing less difficulty in adoption of EHRs? (6) 
Is REC participation associated with being part of a care 
transformation program? There is no existing data source that can be 
used to answer these research questions.
    Likely Respondents: The survey targets small primary care 
practices, and

[[Page 57639]]

asks for the staff member most knowledgeable about electronic health 
record (EHR) adoption and utilization to answer the survey.
    Burden Statement: Burden in this context means the time expended by 
persons to generate, maintain, retain, disclose or provide the 
information requested. This includes the time needed to review 
instructions, to develop, acquire, install and utilize technology and 
systems for the purpose of collecting, validating and verifying 
information, processing and maintaining information, and disclosing and 
providing information, to train personnel and to be able to respond to 
a collection of information, to search data sources, to complete and 
review the collection of information, and to transmit or otherwise 
disclose the information. The total annual burden hours estimated for 
this ICR are summarized in the table below.

                                                            Estimated Annualized Burden Hours
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                                                                                                                              Average
                                                                                             Number of       Number of      burden per     Total burden
               Type of respondent                               Form name                   respondents    responses per   response  (in       hours
                                                                                                            respondent        hours)
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Physicians.....................................  Form A Screener Administered on Paper..            1571               1            5/60             131
Nurses.........................................  Form A Screener Administered on Paper..            1571               1            5/60             131
Practice Managers..............................  Form A Screener Administered on Paper..            1570               1            5/60             131
Physicians.....................................  Form B Survey Administered as a                     475               1           30/60             238
                                                  Computer-Assisted Telephone Interview.
Nurses.........................................  Form B Survey Administered as a                     475               1           30/60             238
                                                  Computer-Assisted Telephone Interview.
Practice Managers..............................  Form B Survey Administered as a                     475               1           30/60             238
                                                  Computer-Assisted Telephone Interview.
Physicians.....................................  Form C Shortened Survey Administered on             119               1           10/60              20
                                                  Paper.
Nurses.........................................  Form C Shortened Survey Administered on             119               1           10/60              20
                                                  Paper.
Practice Managers..............................  Form C Shortened Survey Administered on             118               1           10/60              20
                                                  Paper.
                                                                                         ---------------------------------------------------------------
    Total......................................  .......................................  ..............  ..............  ..............            1167
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    OS specifically requests comments on (1) the necessity and utility 
of the proposed information collection for the proper performance of 
the agency's functions, (2) the accuracy of the estimated burden, (3) 
ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to 
be collected, and (4) the use of automated collection techniques or 
other forms of information technology to minimize the information 
collection burden.

Darius Taylor,
Deputy Information Collection Clearance Officer.
[FR Doc. 2013-22732 Filed 9-18-13; 8:45 am]
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