[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 76 (Thursday, April 19, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 17417-17418]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-08164]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

[30Day-18-0278]


Agency Forms Undergoing Paperwork Reduction Act Review

    In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the Centers 
for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has submitted the information 
collection request titled National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care 
Survey (NHAMCS) to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review 
and approval. CDC previously published a ``Proposed Data Collection 
Submitted for Public Comment and Recommendations'' notice on November 
27, 2017 to obtain comments from the public and affected agencies. CDC 
received one comment related to the previous notice. This notice serves 
to allow an additional 30 days for public and affected agency comments.
    CDC will accept all comments for this proposed information 
collection project. The Office of Management and Budget is particularly 
interested in comments that:
    (a) Evaluate whether the proposed collection of information is 
necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the agency, 
including whether the information will have practical utility;
    (b) Evaluate the accuracy of the agencies estimate of the burden of 
the proposed collection of information, including the validity of the 
methodology and assumptions used;
    (c) Enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to 
be collected;
    (d) Minimize the burden of the collection of information on those 
who are to respond, including, through the use of appropriate 
automated, electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection 
techniques or other forms of information technology, e.g., permitting 
electronic submission of responses; and
    (e) Assess information collection costs.
    To request additional information on the proposed project or to 
obtain a copy of the information collection plan and instruments, call 
(404) 639-7570 or send an email to [email protected]. Direct written comments 
and/or suggestions regarding the items contained in this notice to the 
Attention: CDC Desk Officer, Office of Management and Budget, 725 17th 
Street NW, Washington, DC 20503 or by fax to (202) 395-5806. Provide 
written comments within 30 days of notice publication.

Proposed Project

    National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey (NHAMCS) (OMB 
Control Number 0920-0278, Expiration 02/28/2018)--Reinstatement with 
change--National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS), Centers for 
Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Background and Brief Description

    Section 306 of the Public Health Service (PHS) Act (42 U.S.C. 
242k), as amended, authorizes that the Secretary of Health and Human 
Services (DHHS), acting through NCHS, shall collect statistics on 
``utilization of health care'' in the United States. The National 
Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey (NHAMCS) has conducted annually 
since 1992. NCHS is seeking OMB approval to reinstate this survey for 
an additional three years, following a brief discontinuation on 
February 28, 2018.
    The target universe of the NHAMCS is in-person visits made to 
emergency departments (EDs) of non-Federal, short-stay hospitals 
(hospitals with an average length of stay of less than 30 days) that 
have at least six beds for inpatient use, and with a specialty of 
general and medical, maternity, children's general, or long term acute 
care.
    NHAMCS was initiated to complement the National Ambulatory Medical 
Care Survey (NAMCS, OMB Control Number 0920-0234, Expiration 03/31/
2019), which provides similar data concerning patient visits to 
physicians' offices. NAMCS and NHAMCS are the principal sources of data 
on ambulatory care provided in the United States.
    NHAMCS provides a range of baseline data on the characteristics of 
the users and providers of hospital ambulatory medical care. Data 
collected include patients' demographic characteristics, reason(s) for 
visit, providers' diagnoses, diagnostic services, medications, and 
disposition. These data, together with trend data, may be used to 
monitor the effects of change in the health care system, for the 
planning of health services, improving medical education, determining 
health care work force needs, and assessing the health status of the 
population.
    Starting 2018, CDC will implement just the ED component of NHAMCS. 
However, once reinstated the 2017 survey will run concurrently with the 
2018 survey until the final months of pending 2017 data collection have 
been completed. This is typical with any data collection cycle: It 
begins in the last month of the preceding year and ends around the 
middle of the following year. For the 2017 data collection, CDC will 
collect information on all three settings (ED, OPD, and ASL). For this 
three-year request, CDC does not expect substantive changes or 
supplements for the survey.
    Users of NHAMCS data include, but are not limited to, congressional 
offices, Federal agencies, state and local governments, schools of 
public health, colleges and Universities, private industry, nonprofit 
foundations, professional associations, clinicians, researchers, 
administrators, and health planners.
    There are no costs to the respondents other than their time. The 
total estimated annualized burden hours are 1,251.

                                        Estimated Annualized Burden Hours
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                                     Number of    Average burden
        Type of respondents                   Form name              Number of     responses per   per response
                                                                    respondents     respondent      (in hours)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hospital Chief Executive Officer...  Hospital Induction 2017                  20               1           75/60
                                      Data Collection.
Hospital Chief Executive Officer...  Hospital Induction 2018+                340               1           45/60
                                      Data Collection.
Ancillary Service Executive........  Ambulatory Unit Induction               840               1           15/60
                                      (ED, OPD and ASL).
Ancillary Service Executive........  Ambulatory Unit Induction               578               1           15/60
                                      (ED only).

[[Page 17418]]

 
Medical Record Clerk...............  Retrieving Patient Records              360             102            1/60
                                      (2017 and 2018+ ED, OPD
                                      and ASL).
Ancillary Service Executive--        2018+ Reabstraction                      17               1            5/60
 Reabstraction.                       Telephone Call (1)ED only.
Medical Record Clerk--Reabstraction  2018+ Pulling and re-filing              17              10            1/60
                                      Patient Records (1)ED only.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Leroy A. Richardson,
Chief, Information Collection Review Office, Office of Scientific 
Integrity, Office of the Associate Director for Science, Office of the 
Director, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
[FR Doc. 2018-08164 Filed 4-18-18; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4163-18-P