[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 33 (Tuesday, February 21, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 11230-11231]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-03342]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Health Resources and Services Administration


Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection: 
Public Comment Request; Questionnaire and Data Collection Testing, 
Evaluation, and Research for the Health Resources and Services 
Administration

AGENCY: Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), Department 
of Health and Human Services.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: In compliance with the requirement for opportunity for public 
comment on proposed data collection projects of the Paperwork Reduction 
Act of 1995, 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 ICR must be received no later than April 24, 
2017.

ADDRESSES: Submit your comments to [email protected] or mail the HRSA 
Information Collection Clearance Officer, Room 14N-39, 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, in compliance with Section 3506(c)(2)(A) of the 
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995.
    Information Collection Request Title: Questionnaire and Data 
Collection Testing, Evaluation, and Research for the Health Resources 
and Services Administration, OMB No. 0915-0379--Extension.
    Abstract: The purpose of collections under this generic clearance 
is to obtain formative information from respondents to develop new 
questions, questionnaires, and tools and to identify problems in 
instruments currently in use. This clearance request is limited to 
formative research activities emphasizing data collection, toolkit 
development, and estimation procedures and reports for internal 
decision-making and development purposes and does not extend to the 
collection of data for public release or policy formation. It is 
anticipated that these studies will rely heavily on qualitative 
techniques to meet their objective. In general, these activities are 
not designed to yield results that meet generally accepted standards of 
statistical rigor but are designed to obtain valuable formative 
information to develop more effective and efficient data collection 
tools that will yield more accurate results and decrease non-response.
    Need and Proposed Use of the Information: HRSA conducts cognitive 
interviews, focus groups, usability tests, field tests/pilot 
interviews, and experimental research in laboratory and field settings, 
both for applied questionnaire development and for evaluation as well 
as more basic research on response errors in surveys.
    HRSA staff use various techniques to evaluate interviewer 
administered, self-administered, telephone, Computer Assisted Personal 
Interviewing (CAPI), Computer Assisted Self-Interviewing (CASI), Audio 
Computer-Assisted Self-Interviewing (ACASI), and web-based 
questionnaires.
    Professionally recognized procedures are followed in each 
information collection activity to ensure high quality data. Examples 
of these procedures could include the following:
     Monitoring by supervisory staff of a certain percent of 
telephone interviews;
     Conducting cognitive interviewing techniques, including 
think-aloud techniques and debriefings;
     Data-entry from mail or paper-and-pencil surveys will be 
computerized through scannable forms or checked through double-key 
entry;
     Observers will monitor focus groups, and focus group 
proceedings will be recorded; and
     Data submitted through on-line surveys will be subjected 
to statistical

[[Page 11231]]

validation techniques to ensure accuracy, such as disallowing out-of-
range values.
    Each request under this generic clearance will specify the 
procedures to be used. Participation will be voluntary, and non-
participation will not affect eligibility for, or receipt of, future 
HRSA health services research activities or grant awards, recruitment, 
or participation. Specific testing and evaluation procedures will be 
described when we notify OMB about each new request. Consent procedures 
will be customized for each information collection activity, but will 
include assurances of confidentiality and the legislative authority for 
the activity. If the encounter is to be recorded, the respondent's 
permission to record will be obtained before beginning the interview.
    Screening: When screening is required (e.g., quota sampling), the 
screening will be as brief as possible and the screening questionnaire 
will be provided as part of the submission to OMB.
    Collection methods: The particular information collection methods 
used will vary, but may include the following
     Individual in-depth interviews--In-depth interviews will 
commonly be used to ensure that the meaning of a questionnaire or 
strategy is understood by the respondent. When in-depth interviewing is 
used, the interview guide will be provided to OMB for review.
     Focus groups--Focus groups will be used to obtain insights 
into beliefs and understandings of the target audience early in the 
development of a questionnaire or tool. When focus groups are used, the 
focus group discussion guide will be provided to OMB for review.
     Expert/Gatekeeper review of tools--In some instances, 
tools designed for patients may be reviewed in-depth by medical 
providers or other gatekeepers to provide feedback on the acceptability 
and usability of a particular tool. This would usually be in addition 
to pretesting of the tool by the actual patient or other user.
     Record abstractions--On occasion, the development of a 
tool or other information collection requires review and interaction 
with records rather than individuals.
     ``Dress rehearsal'' of a specific protocol--In some 
instances, the proposed pretesting will constitute a walkthrough of the 
intended data collection procedure. In these instances, the request 
will mirror what is expected to occur for the larger scale data 
collection.
    Likely Respondents: Respondents will be recruited by means of 
advertisements in public venues or through techniques that replicate 
prospective data collection activities that are the focus of the 
project. For instance, a survey on physician communication, designed to 
be administered following an office visit, might be pretested using the 
same procedure. Each submission to OMB will specify the specific 
recruitment procedure to be used.
    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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                                                     Number of                    Average burden
 Type of information collection      Number of     responses per       Total       per response    Total burden
                                    respondents     respondent       responses      (in hours)         hours
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Mail/email \1\..................           1,666               1           1,666            0.25           416.5
Telephone.......................           1,666               1           1,666            0.25           416.5
Web-based.......................           1,666               1           1,666            0.25           416.5
Focus Groups....................           1,666               1           1,666             1.0           1,666
In-person.......................           1,666               1           1,666             1.0           1,666
Automated \2\...................           1,666               1           1,666             1.0           1,666
Cognitive Testing...............           5,000               1           5,000            1.41           7,050
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    Total.......................          14,996  ..............          14,996  ..............          13,298
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\1\ May include telephone non-response follow-up in which case the burden will not change.
\2\ May include testing of database software, CAPI software, or other automated technologies.

    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.

Jason E. Bennett,
Director, Division of the Executive Secretariat.
[FR Doc. 2017-03342 Filed 2-17-17; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4165-15-P