[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 28 (Tuesday, February 11, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Page 8197]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-02898]



[[Page 8197]]

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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Health Resources and Services Administration


Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection: 
Public Comment Request

AGENCY: Health Resources and Services Administration, HHS.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: In compliance with the requirement for opportunity for public 
comment on proposed data collection projects (Section 3506(c)(2)(A) of 
the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995), the Health Resources and Services 
Administration (HRSA) announces plans to submit an Information 
Collection Request (ICR), described below, to the Office of Management 
and Budget (OMB). Prior to submitting the ICR to OMB, HRSA seeks 
comments from the public regarding the burden estimate, below, or any 
other aspect of the ICR.

DATES: Comments on this Information Collection Request must be received 
within 60 days of this notice.

ADDRESSES: Submit your comments to [email protected] or mail the HRSA 
Information Collection Clearance Officer, Room 10-29, Parklawn 
Building, 5600 Fishers Lane, Rockville, MD 20857.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: To request more information on the 
proposed project or to obtain a copy of the data collection plans and 
draft instruments, email [email protected] or call the HRSA 
Information Collection Clearance Officer at (301) 443-1984.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: When submitting comments or requesting 
information, please include the information request collection title 
for reference.
    Information Collection Request Title: Rural Health Information 
Technology (HIT) Workforce Program.
    OMB No. 0915-xxxx--New.
    Abstract: The purpose of the Rural Health Information Technology 
(HIT) Workforce Program is to support formal rural health networks that 
focus on activities relating to the recruitment, education, training, 
and retention of HIT specialists. This program will also provide 
support to rural health networks that can leverage and enhance existing 
HIT training materials to develop formal training programs, which will 
provide instructional opportunities to current health care staff, local 
displaced workers, rural residents, veterans, and other potential 
students. These formal training programs will result in the development 
of a cadre of HIT workers who can help rural hospitals and clinics 
implement and maintain systems, such as electronic health records 
(EHR), telehealth, home monitoring, and mobile health technology; and 
meet EHR meaningful use standards.
    Need and Proposed Use of the Information: For this program, 
performance measures were drafted to provide data useful to the program 
and to enable HRSA to provide aggregate program data required by 
Congress under the Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA) of 
1993 (Pub. L. 103-62). These measures cover the principal topic areas 
of interest to the Office of Rural Health Policy, including: (a) Access 
to care; (b) the underinsured and uninsured; (c) workforce recruitment 
and retention; (d) sustainability; (e) health information technology; 
(f) network development; and (g) health related clinical measures. 
Several measures will be used for this program. These measures will 
speak to the Office's progress toward meeting the goals set.
    Likely Respondents: Rural Health Information Technology Workforce 
Program award recipients.
    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 Information Collection Request are summarized in the table below.

                                     Total Estimated Annualized Burden Hours
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                                                                                      Average
                                     Number of       Number of         Total        burden per     Total burden
            Form name               respondents    responses per     responses     response  (in       hours
                                                    respondent                        hours)
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Rural Health Information                      15               1              15             3.6              54
 Technology Workforce Program
 Performance Measures...........
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    Total.......................              15               1              15             3.6              54
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    HRSA 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.

    Dated: January 31, 2014.
Bahar Niakan,
Director, Division of Policy and Information Coordination.
[FR Doc. 2014-02898 Filed 2-10-14; 8:45 am]
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