[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 42 (Tuesday, March 3, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 12562-12563]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-04277]


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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 ``AHRQ Research Reporting System (ARRS).''

DATES: Comments on this notice must be received by 60 days after date 
of publication.

ADDRESSES: Written comments should be submitted to: Doris Lefkowitz, 
Reports Clearance Officer, AHRQ, by email at 
[email protected].
    Copies of the proposed collection plans, data collection 
instruments, and specific details on the estimated burden can be 
obtained from the AHRQ Reports Clearance Officer.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Doris Lefkowitz, AHRQ Reports 
Clearance Officer, (301) 427-1477, or by email at 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Proposed Project

AHRQ Research Reporting System (ARRS)

    AHRQ has developed a systematic method for its grantees and vendors 
to report project progress and important preliminary findings for 
grants and contracts funded by the Agency. This system, the AHRQ 
Research Reporting System (ARRS), previously known as the Grants 
Reporting System (GRS), was last approved by OMB on May 22nd, 2017. The 
system addressed the shortfalls in the previous reporting process and 
established a consistent and comprehensive grants reporting solution 
for AHRQ. The ARRS provides a centralized repository of grant and 
contract research progress and additional information that can be used 
to support initiatives within the Agency. This includes future research 
planning and support for administrative activities such as performance 
monitoring, budgeting, knowledge transfer and strategic planning.
    This Project has the following goals:

(1) To promote the transfer of critical information more frequently and 
efficiently and enhance the Agency's ability to support research 
designed to improve the outcomes and quality of health care, reduce its 
costs, and broaden access to effective services
(2) To increase the efficiency of the Agency in responding to ad-hoc 
information requests
(3) To support Executive Branch requirements for increased transparency 
and public reporting
(4) To establish a consistent approach throughout the Agency for 
information collection regarding grant and contract progress and a 
systematic basis for oversight and for facilitating potential 
collaborations among grantees
(5) To decrease the inconvenience and burden on grantees and vendors of 
unanticipated ad-hoc requests for information by the Agency in response 
to particular (one-time) internal and external requests for information

This project is being conducted by AHRQ pursuant to AHRQ's statutory 
authority to conduct and support research on healthcare and on systems 
for the delivery of such care, including activities with respect to the 
quality, effectiveness, efficiency, appropriateness and value of 
healthcare services and with respect to quality measurement and 
improvement. 42 U.S.C. 299a(a)(1) and (2).

Method of Collection

    To achieve the goals of this project the following data collections 
will be implemented:
    AHRQ Research Reporting System (ARRS)--Grantees and vendors use the 
ARRS system to report project progress and important preliminary 
findings for grants and contracts funded by the Agency. Grantees and 
vendors submit progress reports on a monthly or quarterly basis which 
are reviewed by AHRQ personnel. All users access the ARRS system 
through a secure online interface which requires a user I.D. and 
password entered through the ARRS login screen. When status reports are 
due AHRQ notifies principal investigators and vendors via email.
    The ARRS is an automated user-friendly resource that is utilized by 
AHRQ staff for preparing, distributing, and reviewing reporting 
requests to grantees and vendors for the purpose of

[[Page 12563]]

information sharing. AHRQ personnel are able to systematically search 
the information collected and stored in the ARRS database. Personnel 
will also use the information to address internal and/or external 
requests for information regarding grant progress, preliminary 
findings, and other requests, such as Freedom of Information Act 
requests, and producing responses related to federally mandated 
programs and regulations.

Estimated Annual Respondent Burden

    Exhibit 1 shows the estimated annualized burden hours for the 
respondents. It will take grantees and vendors an estimated 15 minutes 
to enter the necessary data into the ARRS System and reporting will 
occur four times annually. The total annualized burden hours are 
estimated to be 500 hours.
    Exhibit 2 shows the estimated annualized cost burden for the 
respondents. The total estimated cost burden for respondents is 
$19,710.

Exhibit 1 Estimated Annualized Burden Hours

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                     Number of
                    Form name                        Number of     responses per     Hours per     Total burden
                                                    respondents     respondent       response          hours
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Data entry into ARRS............................             500               4           15/60             500
                                                 ---------------------------------------------------------------
    Total.......................................             500             N/A             N/A             500
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Exhibit 2 Estimated Annualized Cost Burden

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                     Number of     Total burden   Average hourly    Total cost
                    Form name                       respondents        hours        wage rate *       burden
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Data entry into ARRS............................             500             500          $39.42         $19,710
                                                 ---------------------------------------------------------------
    Total.......................................             500             500             N/A          19,710
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* Based upon the average wages for Healthcare Practitioner and Technical Occupations (29-0000), ``National
  Compensation Survey: Occupational Wages in the United States, May 2015,'' U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of
  Labor Statistics, http://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes_nat.htm#29-0000.

Request for Comments

    In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act, 44 U.S.C. 3501-
3521, 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's 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.

    Dated: February 26, 2020.
Virginia L. Mackay-Smith,
Associate Director.
[FR Doc. 2020-04277 Filed 3-2-20; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4160-90-P