[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 27 (Wednesday, February 10, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 7118-7119]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-02678]


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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: ``Making It Easier for Patients to Understand Health 
Information and Navigate Health Care Systems: Developing Quality 
Improvement Measures.'' In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act, 
44 U.S.C. 3501-3521, AHRQ invites the public to comment on this 
proposed information collection.

DATES: Comments on this notice must be received by April 11, 2016.

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 AHRQ 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

Making It Easier for Patients To Understand Health Information and 
Navigate Health Care Systems: Developing Quality Improvement Measures

    A goal of Healthy People 2020 is to increase Americans' health 
literacy, defined as ``the degree to which individuals have the 
capacity to obtain, process, and understand basic health information 
and services needed to make appropriate health decisions.'' \1\ The 
effects of limited health literacy are numerous and serious, including 
medication non-adherence resulting from patients' inability to read and 
comprehend medication labels; underuse of preventive measures, such as 
vaccines; poor self-management of conditions such as asthma and 
diabetes; and higher utilization of inpatient and emergency department 
care. According to the 2003 National Assessment of Adult Literacy, 88% 
of U.S. adults have significant difficulties understanding widely used 
health information. By adopting ``health literacy universal 
precautions,'' health care providers and organizations can create an 
environment in which all patients--regardless of health literacy 
level--can successfully (1) understand health information, (2) navigate 
the health care system, (3) engage in medical decision-making, and (4) 
manage their health.
    Numerous resources have been developed to support health care 
organizations in their attempts to address limitations in patient 
health literacy. However, little work has been done to establish valid 
quality improvement measures that organizations can use to monitor the 
impact of initiatives aimed at improving patient understanding, 
navigation, engagement, and self-management. Absent such measures, 
organizations may be unable to accurately assess whether their 
initiatives are effective.
    This research has the following goals:
    1. Identify existing quality improvement measures and gather 
proposals for additional measures (not generated from patient survey 
data) that organizations may use to monitor progress related to 
enhancing patient understanding, navigation, engagement, and self-
management; and
    2. Identify a set of quality improvement measures that reflect 
patient priorities, has expert support, and can be recommended for more 
formal measure development and testing.
This project is being conducted by AHRQ through its contractor, Board 
of Regents of the University of Colorado, pursuant to AHRQ's statutory 
authority to conduct and support research on health care and on systems 
for the delivery of such care, including activities with respect to the 
quality, effectiveness, efficiency, appropriateness and value of health 
care services and with respect to quality measurement and improvement. 
42 U.S.C. 299a(a)(1) and (2).

Method of Collection

    Environmental Scan Interviews: Representatives from 25 health care 
organizations engaged in relevant quality improvement efforts will be 
interviewed to obtain information about the quality improvement 
measures they use in assessing their work to improve patient 
understanding, navigation, engagement, and self-care.
    The planned environmental scan interviews will provide the 
information needed to:
     Identify and document the characteristics of relevant 
quality improvement measures that are already in use; and
     identify additional measures that would be useful to 
stakeholders in the field.
    The findings from these interviews will be used, along with the 
results from other activities (i.e., input from a Technical Expert 
Panel, literature review, a Request for Information published in the 
Federal Register, and focus groups with patients), to identify and 
document a set of quality improvement measures that can be recommended 
for rigorous testing and validation. Measures that are assessed to be 
valid and reliable will be eligible to be disseminated by AHRQ to 
support health care organizations in their efforts to improve patient 
understanding of health information, navigation of the health care 
system, engagement in medical decision-making, and management of their 
health.

Estimated Annual Respondent Burden

    Exhibit 1 shows the estimated annualized burden hours for the 
respondents' time to participate in Environmental Scan Interviews. The 
Environmental Scan Interviews will be completed by 50 respondents (2 
representatives from each of the 25 organizations targeted for 
participation).

                                  Exhibit 1--Estimated Annualized Burden Hours
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                                                                     Number of
                    Form name                        Number of     responses per     Hours per     Total burden
                                                    respondents     respondent       response          hours
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Environmental Scan Interviews...................              50               1               2             100
                                                 ---------------------------------------------------------------

[[Page 7119]]

 
    Total.......................................              50               1               2             100
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    Exhibit 2 shows the estimated annual cost burden associated with 
the respondents' time to participate in this information collection. 
The annual cost burden for the Environmental Scan Interviews is 
estimated to be $4,984.

                                   Exhibit 2--Estimated Annualized Cost Burden
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                                                     Number of     Total burden   Average hourly    Total cost
                    Form name                       respondents        hours        wage rate *       burden
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Environmental Scan Interviews...................              50             100      \a\ $49.84          $4,984
                                                 ---------------------------------------------------------------
    Total.......................................              50             100       \a\ 49.84           4,984
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* National Compensation Survey: Occupational wages in the United States May 2014, ``U.S. Department of Labor,
  Bureau of Labor Statistics.''
\a\ Based on the mean wages for Medical and Health Services Managers 11-9111.

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 health care research and 
health care 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.

Sharon B. Arnold,
Deputy Director.
[FR Doc. 2016-02678 Filed 2-9-16; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4160-90-P