[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 103 (Thursday, May 29, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 30848-30850]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-12359]


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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: ``Generic Clearance for Questionnaire and Data Collection 
Testing, Evaluation, and Research for the Agency for Healthcare 
Research and Quality.'' In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act, 
44 U.S.C. 3501-3520, AHRQ invites the public to comment on this 
proposed information collection.

DATES: Comments on this notice must be received by July 28, 2014.

ADDRESSES: Written comments should be submitted to: Doris Lefkowitz, 
Reports Clearance Officer, AHRQ, by email at 
[email protected].
    Copies of the proposed collection plans, data collection 
instruments, and specific details on the estimated burden can be 
obtained from the AI-IRQ Reports Clearance Officer.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Doris Lefkowitz, AHRQ Reports 
Clearance Officer, (301) 427-1477, or by email at 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Proposed Project

    Generic Clearance for Questionnaire and Data Collection Testing, 
Evaluation, and Research for the Agency for Healthcare Research and 
Quality
    The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) requests that 
the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) reinstate generic pre-testing 
clearance 0935-0124 for three years to facilitate AHRQ's efforts to (1) 
employ evaluation-type methods and techniques to improve AHRQ's current 
data collection and estimation procedures, (2) develop new collections 
and procedures, including toolkits, and (3) revise existing collections 
and procedures. AHRQ uses techniques to simplify data collection and 
estimation procedures, reduce respondent burden, and improve 
efficiencies to meet the needs of individuals and small business 
respondents who may have reduced budgets and staff. AHRQ believes that 
developing, testing, and evaluating data collection and estimation 
procedures using survey methods and other techniques in anticipation of 
agency-sponsored studies can improve its

[[Page 30849]]

information collection efforts and the products it develops and allow 
AHRQ to be more responsive to fast-changing developments in the 
healthcare research field.
    This clearance request is limited to research on data collection, 
toolkit development, and estimation procedures and reports and does not 
extend to the collection of data for public release or policy 
formation. The current clearance was granted on May 27th, 2011 and 
expires on May 31st, 2014.
    This generic clearance will allow AHRQ to draft and test toolkits, 
survey instruments and other data collection and estimation procedures 
more quickly and with greater lead time, thereby managing project time 
more efficiently and improving the quality of the data AHRQ collects. 
In some instances, the ability to test and evaluate toolkits, data 
collection and estimation procedures in anticipation of work or early 
in a project may result in the decision not to proceed with additional 
activities, thereby saving both public and private resources and 
effectively eliminating respondent burden.
    Many of the tools AHRQ develops are made available to the private 
sector to assist in improving health care quality. The health and 
health care environment changes rapidly and requires a quick response 
from AHRQ to provide refined tools. This generic clearance will 
facilitate AHRQ's response to this changing environment.
    These preliminary research activities will not be used by AHRQ to 
regulate or sanction its customers. They will be entirely voluntary and 
the confidentiality of respondents and their responses will be 
preserved. Proposed information collections submitted under this 
generic clearance will be reviewed and acted upon by OMB within 14 days 
of submission to OMB.

Method of Collection

    The information collected through preliminary research activities 
will be used by AHRQ to employ techniques to (1) improve AHRQ's current 
data collection and estimation procedures, (2) develop new collections 
and procedures, including toolkits, and (3) revise existing collections 
and procedures in anticipation or in response to changes in the health 
or health care field. The end result will be improvement in AHRQ's data 
collections and procedures and the quality of data collected, a 
reduction or minimization of respondent burden, increased agency 
efficiency, and improved responsiveness to the public.

Estimated Annual Respondent Burden

    Exhibit 1 shows the estimated burden hours, over the full 3 years 
of this clearance, for the respondents' time to participate in the 
research activities that may be conducted under this generic clearance. 
Mail surveys will be conducted with about 6,000 persons (2,000 per year 
for 3 years) and are estimated to average 20 minutes. Mail surveys may 
also be sent to respondents via email, and may include a telephone non-
response follow-up. Telephone non-response follow-up for mailed surveys 
is not counted as a telephone survey in Exhibit 1. Not more than 600 
persons, over 3 years, will participate in telephone surveys that will 
take about 40 minutes. Web-based surveys will be conducted with no more 
than 3,000 persons and will require no more than 10 minutes to 
complete. About 1,500 persons will participate in focus groups which 
may last up to two hours, while in-person interviews will be conducted 
with 600 persons and will take about 50 minutes. Automated data 
collection will be conducted for about 1,500 persons and could take up 
to 1 hour. Cognitive testing will be conducted with about 600 persons 
and is estimated to take 1\1/2\ hours to complete. The total burden 
over 3 years is estimated to be 8,900 hours (about 2,967 hours per 
year).
    Exhibit 2 shows the estimated cost burden over 3 years, based on 
the respondents' time to participate in these research activities. The 
total cost burden is estimated to be $298,239.

                                 Exhibit 1--Estimated Burden Hours Over 3 Years
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                                                                     Number of
         Type of information collection              Number of    responses  per     Hours per     Total  burden
                                                    respondents     respondent       response          hours
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Mail/email *....................................           6,000               1           20/60           2,000
Telephone.......................................             600               1           40/60             400
Web-based.......................................           3,000               1           10/60             500
Focus Groups....................................           1,500               1             2.0           3,000
In-person.......................................             600               1             1.0             600
Automated **....................................           1,500               1             1.0           1,500
Cognitive Testing ***...........................             600               1             1.5             900
                                                 ---------------------------------------------------------------
    Totals......................................          13,800              na              na          8,900
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* May include telephone non-response follow-up in which case the burden will not change
** May include testing of database software, CAPI software or other automated technologies.
*** May include cognitive interviews for questionnaire or toolkit development, or ``think aloud'' testing of
  prototype Web sites.


                                  Exhibit 2--Estimated Cost Burden Over 3 Years
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                                      Average
         Type of information collection              Number of     Total  burden   hourly  wage     Total  cost
                                                    respondents        hours          rate *          burden
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Mail/email......................................           6,000           2,000           33.51          67,020
Telephone.......................................             600             400           33.51          13,404
Web-based.......................................           3,000             500           33.51          16,755
Focus Groups....................................           1,500           3,000           33.51         100,530
In-person.......................................             600             600           33.51          20,106
Automated.......................................           1,500           1,500           33.51          50,265
Cognitive Testing...............................             600             900           33.51          30,159
                                                 ---------------------------------------------------------------

[[Page 30850]]

 
    Totals......................................          13,800           8,900              na        298,239
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* Based upon the average wages for 29-000 (Healthcare Practitioner and Technical Occupations), ``National
  Compensation Survey: Occupational Wages in the United States, May 2009,'' U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of
  Labor Statistics.

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: May 21, 2014.
Richard Kronick,
Director.
[FR Doc. 2014-12359 Filed 5-28-14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4160-90-M