[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 144 (Friday, July 28, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 35205-35206]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-15883]


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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.''
    This proposed information collection was previously published in 
the Federal Register on April 28, 2017, and allowed 60 days for public 
comment. No substantive comments were received. The purpose of this 
notice is to allow an additional 30 days for public comment.

DATES: Comments on this notice must be received by August 28, 2017.

ADDRESSES: Written comments should be submitted to: AHRQ's OMB Desk 
Officer by fax at (202) 395-6974 (attention: AHRQ's desk officer) or by 
email at [email protected] (attention: AHRQ's desk 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

    In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act, 44 U.S.C. 3501-
3520, AHRQ invites the public to comment on this proposed information 
collection. The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) 
requests that the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) reapprove 
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 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 information collection 
efforts, and the products it develops and allow AHRQ to be more 
responsive to fast-changing developments in the health care research. 
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.
    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 (0935-0124) was granted on November 
12, 2014, and expires on November 30, 2017.
    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, which could save both public and private resources and 
eliminate respondent burden.
    This generic clearance will facilitate AHRQ's response to a 
changing environment. 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.
    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 submitted for review by OMB with a response 
expected in 14 days.

Method of Collection

    The information collected through preliminary research activities 
under this generic clearance 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. 
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 respondent's time to participate in these research activities. The 
total cost burden is estimated to be $338,734.

[[Page 35206]]



                                 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
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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
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                                                                                      Average
         Type of information collection              Number of     Total burden    hourly  wage     Total cost
                                                    respondents        hours          rate *          burden
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Mail/email......................................           6,000           2,000          $38.06         $76,120
Telephone.......................................             600             400           38.06          15,224
Web-based.......................................           3,000             500           38.06          19,030
Focus Groups....................................           1,500           3,000           38,06         114,180
In-person.......................................             600             600           38.06          22,836
Automated.......................................           1,500           1,500           38.06          57,090
Cognitive Testing...............................             600             900           38.06          34,254
                                                 ---------------------------------------------------------------
    Totals......................................          13,800           8,900              na         338,734
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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 2016,'' U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of
  Labor Statistics https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes_nat.htm#29-0000.

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. 2017-15883 Filed 7-27-17; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4160-90-P