[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 153 (Thursday, August 8, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Pages 38986-38987]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-16964]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

[60Day-19-1015; Docket No. CDC-2019-0061]


Proposed Data Collection Submitted for Public Comment and 
Recommendations

AGENCY: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Department of 
Health and Human Services (HHS).

ACTION: Notice with comment period.

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SUMMARY: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), as part 
of its continuing effort to reduce public burden and maximize the 
utility of government information, invites the general public and other 
Federal agencies the opportunity to comment on a proposed and/or 
continuing information collection, as required by the Paperwork 
Reduction Act of 1995. This notice invites comment on a proposed 
information collection project titled National Electronic Health 
Records Survey (NEHRS) which will collect data on office-based 
physicians' adoption and use of electronic health record (EHR) systems, 
practice information, patient engagement, controlled substances 
prescribing practices, use of health information exchange, and 
documentation and burden associated with medical record systems.

DATES: CDC must receive written comments on or before October 7, 2019.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments, identified by Docket No. CDC-2019-
0061 by any of the following methods:
     Federal eRulemaking Portal: Regulations.gov. Follow the 
instructions for submitting comments.
     Mail: Jeffrey M. Zirger, of the Information Collection 
Review Office, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1600 Clifton 
Road NE, MS-D74, Atlanta, Georgia 30329.
    Instructions: All submissions received must include the agency name 
and Docket Number. CDC will post, without change, all relevant comments 
to Regulations.gov.
    Please note: Submit all comments through the Federal eRulemaking 
portal (regulations.gov) or by U.S. mail to the address listed above.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: To request more information on the 
proposed project or to obtain a copy of the information collection plan 
and instruments, contact Jeffrey M. Zirger, Information Collection 
Review Office, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1600 Clifton 
Road NE, MS-D74, Atlanta, Georgia 30329; phone: 404-639-7570; Email: 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 
(PRA) (44 U.S.C. 3501-3520), Federal agencies must obtain approval from 
the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for each collection of 
information they conduct or sponsor. In addition, the PRA also requires 
Federal agencies to provide a 60-day notice in the Federal Register 
concerning each proposed collection of information, including each new 
proposed collection, each proposed extension of existing collection of 
information, and each reinstatement of previously approved information 
collection before submitting the collection to the OMB for approval. To 
comply with this requirement, we are publishing this notice of a 
proposed data collection as described below.
    The OMB is particularly interested in comments that will help:
    1. 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;
    2. Evaluate the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden of 
the proposed collection of information, including the validity of the 
methodology and assumptions used;
    3. Enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to 
be collected; and
    4. 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 
submissions of responses.
    5. Assess information collection costs.

Proposed Project

    National Electronic Health Records Survey (NEHRS) (OMB Control No. 
0920-1015, Exp. 7/31/2020)--Revision--National Center for Health

[[Page 38987]]

Statistics (NCHS), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

Background and Brief Description

    NEHRS is a national survey of office-based physicians conducted by 
the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS), Centers for Disease 
Control and Prevention (CDC). NEHRS is sponsored by the Office of the 
National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC), 
Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS). The survey is conducted 
under authority of Section 306 of the Public Health Service Act (41 
U.S.C. 242k). NEHRS data collection years are for 2020, 2021 and 2022.
    The purpose of this study is to collect information on office-based 
physicians' adoption and use of electronic health record (EHR) systems, 
practice information, patient engagement, controlled substances 
prescribing practices, use of health information exchange, and 
documentation and burden associated with medical record systems. The 
respondents are a sample of office-based physicians. The data 
collection is done directly through a self-administered web 
questionnaire, self-administered paper questionnaire or computer-
assisted telephone interview. NEHRS collects information on 
characteristics of U.S. office-based physicians practicing ambulatory 
medical care, including specific focus on EHR adoption and use. Having 
data that can identify a physician office's ability to perform specific 
computerized tasks helps track the adoption and use of new health 
information technologies across various physician and practice 
characteristics (e.g., specialty, office type, and ownership) over 
time. These annual data, together with trend data, may be used to 
monitor the effects of change in the health care system, provide new 
insights into ambulatory medical care, and stimulate further research 
on the use, organization, and delivery of ambulatory care.
    Data from NEHRS has been used by researchers in reports and 
programs such as Health, United States and Healthy People 2020, in 
addition to various other reports and research across federal, public, 
and international communities. The results of the data will help 
provide more information about the use and adoption of EHRs by office-
based physicians both nationally and by state. CDC requests approval 
for 5,151 annual burden hours. There are no costs to respondents other 
than their time.

                                                            Estimated Annualized Burden Hours
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                                                                                                                              Average
                                                                                             Number of       Number of      burden per     Total burden
              Type of Respondents                               Form name                   respondents    responses per   response  (in    (in hours)
                                                                                                            respondent        hours)
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Office-based Physicians or office staff........  NEHRS..................................          10,302               1           30/60           5,151
rrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr
    Total......................................  .......................................  ..............  ..............  ..............           5,151
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Jeffrey M. Zirger,
Lead, Information Collection Review Office, Office of Scientific 
Integrity, Office of Science, Centers for Disease Control and 
Prevention.
[FR Doc. 2019-16964 Filed 8-7-19; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4163-18-P