[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 7 (Tuesday, January 12, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 1430-1431]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-00372]


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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 
no later than March 14, 2016.

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: Telehealth Resource Center 
Performance Measurement Tool, OMB No. 0915-0361--Revision
    Abstract: To ensure the best use of public funds and to meet the 
Government Performance Review Act (GPRA) requirements, the Federal 
Office of Rural Health's Office for the Advancement of Telehealth 
(OAT), in collaboration with the Telehealth Resource Centers (TRCs), 
created a set of performance measures that grantees can use to evaluate 
the technical assistance services provided by the TRCs. Grantee goals 
are to customize the provision of telehealth technical assistance 
across the country. The TRCs provide technical assistance to health 
care organizations, health care networks, and health care providers in 
the implementation of cost-effective telehealth programs to serve rural 
and medically underserved areas and populations.
    Need and Proposed Use of the Information: In order to evaluate 
existing programs, data are obtained from the Performance Improvement 
Measurement system (PIMs). The data are used to measure the 
effectiveness of the technical assistance. The tool is also used to 
address GPRA initiatives. There are two data reporting periods each 
year; during these biannual reporting, data are reported for the 
previous 6 months of activity. Programs have approximately 6 weeks to 
enter their data into the PIMs system during each biannual reporting 
period. The instrument was developed with the following four goals in 
mind:

I. improving access to needed services;
II. reducing rural practitioner isolation;
III. improving health system productivity and efficiency; and
IV. improving patient outcomes.

    The TRCs currently report on existing performance data elements 
using PIMs. The current PIMs will continue to be used to report on new 
measures. The performance measures are designed to assess how the TRC 
program is meeting its goals to:

1. Expand the availability of telehealth services in underserved 
communities;
2. Improve the quality, efficiency, and effectiveness of telehealth 
services;
3. Promote knowledge exchange and dissemination about efficient and 
effective telehealth practices and technology; and
4. Establish sustainable technical assistance (TA) centers providing 
quality, unbiased TA for the development and expansion of effective 
and efficient telehealth services in underserved communities.

    Additionally, the PIMs tool allows OAT to:
     Fulfill obligations for GPRA and Program Assessment Rating 
Tool requirements and to report to Congress the value added from the 
TRC Grant Program;
     Justify budget requests;
     Collect uniform, consistent data which enables OAT to 
monitor programs;
     Provide guidance to grantees on important indicators to 
track over time

[[Page 1431]]

for their own internal program management;
     Measure performance relative to the mission of OAT/HRSA as 
well as individual goals and objectives of the program;
     Identify topics of interest for future special studies; 
and
     Identify changes in healthcare needs within rural 
communities, allowing programs to shift focus in order to meet those 
needs.
    This revised request proposes changes to existing measures. After 
compiling data from the previous tool over the last 3 years, the Office 
conducted an analysis of the data and compared the findings with the 
program needs. Based on the findings, the measures were revised to 
better capture information necessary to measure the effectiveness of 
the program.
    Likely Respondents: The likely respondents will be telehealth 
associations, telehealth providers, rural health providers, clinicians 
that deliver services via telehealth, technical assistance providers, 
research organizations, and academic medical centers.
    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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Telehealth Resource Center                    14              42             588            0.07           41.16
 Performance Data Collection
 Tool...........................
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    Total.......................              14              42             588            0.07           41.16
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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.

Jackie Painter,
Director, Division of the Executive Secretariat.
[FR Doc. 2016-00372 Filed 1-11-16; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4165-15-P