[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 26 (Friday, February 7, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 7459-7460]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-02667]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

[30Day-14-13AFV]


Agency Forms Undergoing Paperwork Reduction Act Review

    The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) publishes a 
list of information collection requests under review by the Office of 
Management and Budget (OMB) in compliance with the Paperwork Reduction 
Act (44 U.S.C. Chapter 35). To request a copy of these requests, call 
(404) 639-7570 or send an email to [email protected]. Send written comments 
to CDC Desk Officer, Office of Management and Budget, Washington, DC or 
by fax to (202) 395-5806. Written comments should be received within 30 
days of this notice.

Proposed Project

    The National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey (NAMCS) National 
Electronic Health Record Survey (NEHRS)--New--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. NAMCS NEHRS has 
been conducted annually since 2008 as a mail survey supplement under 
NAMCS. Questions in NAMCS NEHRS have been asked in NAMCS starting in 
2001. NCHS is seeking OMB approval to make NAMCS NEHRS as an 
independent survey for the next three years.
    The purpose of NEHRS is to measure progress toward goals for 
electronic health records (EHRs) adoption. NAMCS NEHRS target universe 
consists of all non-Federal office-based physicians (excluding those in 
the specialties of anesthesiology, radiology, and pathology) who are 
engaged in direct patient care.
    NAMCS NEHRS was initiated as a mail survey supplement under NAMCS. 
NAMCS NEHRS is the principal source of data on national and state-level 
EHR adoption in the United States. In 2008 and 2009, the sample size 
was 2,000 physicians annually. Starting in 2010, the annual sample size 
was increased five-fold, from 2,000 physicians to 10,302 physicians. 
The increased sample size allows for more reliable national estimates 
as well as state-level estimates on EHR adoption without having to be 
combined with NAMCS. For these reasons, it is our intent to have NEHRS 
stand as an independent survey, not as a supplement under NAMCS.
    NAMCS NEHRS collects information on characteristics of physician 
practices, the capabilities of EHRs in those practices, and intent to 
apply for meaningful use incentive payments. These data, together with 
trend data, may be used to monitor the adoption of EHR as well as 
accessing factors associated with EHR adoption.

[[Page 7460]]

Additionally, half the sample will receive additional content related 
to effects that EHRs have on clinical workflow, efficiencies, and may 
address issues of access, quality, and costs of associated with the 
delivery of health care. Subsequent years of the entire 2014 NEHRS may 
receive longitudinal follow-up to evaluate the effect of EHR on the 
delivery of health care over time.
    Users of NAMCS NEHRS 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.
    NAMCS NEHRS will survey 10,302 physicians a year, for eligibility. 
It is expected that all physicians will participate in an interview 
annually. In 2014, one-half of the physicians will receive the regular 
NAMCS NEHRS and one-half of the physicians will receive an expanded 
NAMCS NEHRS. All the 2014 eligible physicians (10,302) will be asked to 
take the follow-up NAMCS NEHRS in 2015 and 2016.
    There are no costs to the respondents other than their time. The 
total estimated annual burden hours are 7,155.

                                        Estimated Annualized Burden Hours
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                                                                                                      Average
                                                                     Number of     Responses per    burden per
         Type of respondent                   Form name             respondents     respondent     response  (in
                                                                                                      hours)
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Office-based physicians............  Regular NAMCS NEHRS........           8,585               1           20/60
                                     Expanded NAMCS NEHRS.......           1,717               1           30/60
                                     NAMCS NEHRS expansion                 6,868               1           30/60
                                      (Follow-up).
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Leroy A. Richardson,
Chief, Information Collection Review Office, Office of Scientific 
Integrity, Office of the Associate Director for Science, Office of the 
Director, Center for Disease Control and Prevention.
[FR Doc. 2014-02667 Filed 2-6-14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4163-18-P