[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 19 (Tuesday, January 29, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Pages 455-457]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-00214]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

[30Day-19-0212]


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 Care Survey 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 September 13, 2018 to obtain comments from 
the public and affected agencies. CDC received four comments 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;

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    (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 Care Survey (OMB Control No. 0920-0212, Exp. 01/
31/2019)--Revision--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 the 
extent and nature of illness and disability of the population of the 
United States. This three-year clearance request for NHCS includes the 
collection of all inpatient and ambulatory Uniform Bill-04 (UB-04) 
claims data or electronic health record (EHR) data as well as the 
collection of hospital-level information via a questionnaire from a 
sample of 598 hospitals.
    The NHCS collects data on patient care in hospital-based settings 
to describe patterns of health care delivery and utilization in the 
United States. NHCS hospital-based settings include inpatient, 
emergency department (ED), and outpatient department (OPD). The survey 
will provide hospital utilization statistics for the Nation. In 
addition, the NHCS will also be able to monitor national trends in 
substance use-related ED visits including opioid visits.
    NHCS consists of a nationally representative sample of 598 
hospitals. These hospitals are currently being recruited, and 
participating hospitals are submitting all of their inpatient and 
ambulatory care patient data in the form of electronic UB-04 
administrative claims or EHR data. Currently, hospital-level data are 
collected through a questionnaire administered via a web portal.
    This revision seeks approval to continue voluntary recruitment of 
hospitals in the sample for the NHCS; continue the collection of 
hospital-level data through an initial intake questionnaire and an 
Annual Hospital Interview for all sampled hospitals; continue the 
collection of electronic data on inpatient discharges as well as ED and 
OPD visits through the collection of EHR data, UB-04 claims, or a state 
file; continue collection of substance-involved ED visit data through 
the ED component; eliminate medical record abstraction of a sample of 
ED and OPD visits as part of the design of the survey; and postpone 
frame development for free standing ambulatory care facilities.
    NHCS collects data items at the hospital, patient, inpatient 
discharge, and visit levels. Hospital-level data items include 
ownership, number of staffed beds, hospital service type, and EHR 
adoption. Patient-level data items are collected from electronic data 
and include basic demographic information, personal identifiers, name, 
address, social security number (if available), and medical record 
number (if available). Discharge-level data are collected through the 
UB-04 claims or EHR data and include admission and discharge dates, 
diagnoses, diagnostic services, and surgical and non-surgical 
procedures. Visit-level data are collected through EHR data and include 
reason for visit, diagnosis, procedures, medications, substances 
involved, and patient disposition.
    NHCS data have distinct advantages. Through the collection of 
personal identifiers, NHCS data can be linked to outside datasets such 
as the National Death Index (OMB No. 0920-0215, Exp. Date 12/31/2019) 
to calculate post-discharge mortality. Additionally, NHCS offers unique 
opportunities to study opioid-involved health outcomes, such as repeat 
hospital encounters for opioid use and opioid-related mortality rates.
    NHCS users include, but are not limited to, CDC, Congressional 
Research Office, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and 
Evaluation (ASPE), National Institutes of Health, U.S. Food and Drug 
Administration (FDA), American Health Information Management 
Association (AHIMA), Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), 
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), 
Bureau of the Census, Office of National Drug Control Policy, state and 
local governments, and nonprofit organizations. Other users of these 
data include universities, research organizations, many in the private 
sector, foundations, and a variety of users in the media.
    Data collected through NHCS are essential for evaluating the health 
status of the population, for the planning of programs and policy to 
improve health care delivery systems of the Nation, for studying 
morbidity trends, and for research activities in the health field. 
Historically, data have been used extensively in the development and 
monitoring of goals for the Year 2000, 2010, and 2020 Healthy People 
Objectives. There is no cost to respondents other than their time to 
participate. The total annualized burden is 7,080 hours.

                                        Estimated Annualized Burden Hours
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                                     Number of    Average burden
          Type of respondents                   Form name            Number of     responses per   per response
                                                                    respondents     respondent      (in hours)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hospital Director of Health             Initial Hospital Intake              150               1               1
 Information Management (DHIM) or        Questionnaire.
 Director of Health Information
 Technology (DHIT).
Hospital Chief Executive Officer (CEO)/ Recruitment Survey                   150               1               1
 Chief Financial Officer (CFO).          Presentation.
Hospital DHIM or DHIT.................  Prepare and transmit UB-             399              12               1
                                         04 or State File for
                                         Inpatient and
                                         Ambulatory.
Hospital DHIM or DHIT.................  Prepare and transmit EHR             199               4               1
                                         for Inpatient and
                                         Ambulatory.

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Hospital CEO/CFO......................  Annual Hospital                      598               1               2
                                         Interview.
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Jeffrey M. Zirger,
Acting Lead, Information Collection Review Office, Office of Scientific 
Integrity, Office of Science, Centers for Disease Control and 
Prevention.
[FR Doc. 2019-00214 Filed 1-28-19; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4163-18-P