[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 65 (Friday, April 3, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 18979-18980]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-06947]



[[Page 18979]]

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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

[30Day-20-1030]


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 Developmental Studies to Improve the National 
Health Care Surveys (OMB Control No. 0920-1030, Exp. 04/30/2020), 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 January 23, 2020 to obtain 
comments from the public and affected agencies. CDC did not receive 
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;
    (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. Comments and recommendations for the proposed 
information collection should be sent within 30 days of publication of 
this notice to www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain Find this particular 
information collection by selecting ``Currently under 30-day Review--
Open for Public Comments'' or by using the search function. 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

    Developmental Studies to Improve the National Health Care Surveys 
(OMB Control No. 0920-1030, Exp. 04/30/2020)--Extension--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 the Secretary of Health and Human 
Services (DHHS), acting through the Division of Health Care Statistics 
(DHCS) within NCHS, shall collect statistics on the extent and nature 
of illness and disability of the population of the United States.
    The DHCS conducts the National Health Care Surveys, a family of 
nationally representative surveys of encounters and health care 
providers in inpatient, ambulatory, and long-term care settings. This 
information collection request (ICR) is for the extension of a generic 
clearance to conduct developmental studies to improve this family of 
surveys. This three-year clearance period will include studies to 
evaluate and improve upon existing survey design and operations, as 
well as to examine the feasibility of, and address challenges that may 
arise with, future expansions of the National Health Care Surveys.
    Specifically, this request covers developmental research with the 
following aims: (1) To explore ways to refine and improve upon existing 
survey designs and procedures; and (2) to explore and evaluate proposed 
survey designs and alternative approaches to data collection. The goal 
of these research studies is to further enhance DHCS existing and 
future data collection protocols to increase research capacity and 
improve health care data quality for the purpose of monitoring public 
health and well-being at the national, state and local levels, thereby 
informing the health policy decision-making process. The information 
collected through this generic ICR will not be used to make 
generalizable statements about the population of interest or to inform 
public policy; however, methodological findings may be reported.
    This generic ICR would include studies conducted in person, via the 
telephone or internet, and by postal or electronic mail. Methods 
covered would include qualitative (e.g., usability testing, focus 
groups, ethnographic studies, and respondent debriefing questionnaires) 
and/or quantitative (e.g., pilot tests, pre-tests and split sample 
experiments) research methodologies. Examples of studies to improve 
existing survey designs and procedures may include evaluation of 
incentive approaches to improve recruitment and increase participation 
rates; testing of new survey items to obtain additional data on 
providers, patients, and their encounters while minimizing 
misinterpretation and human error in data collection; testing data 
collection in panel surveys; triangulating and validating survey 
responses from multiple data sources; assessment of the feasibility of 
data retrieval; and development of protocols that will locate, 
identify, and collect accurate survey data in the least labor-intensive 
and burdensome manner at the sampled practice site.
    To explore and evaluate proposed survey designs and alternative 
approaches to collecting data, especially with the nationwide adoption 
of electronic health records, studies may expand the evaluation of data 
extraction of electronic health records and submission via continuity 
of care documentation to small/mid-size/large medical providers and 
hospital networks, managed care health plans, prison-hospitals, and 
other inpatient, outpatient, and long-term care settings that are 
currently either in-scope or out-of-scope of the National Health Care 
Surveys. Research on feasibility, data quality and respondent burden 
also may be carried out in the context of developing new surveys of 
health care providers and establishments that are currently out-of-
scope of the National Health Care Surveys.
    Specific motivations for conducting developmental studies include: 
(1) Within the National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey (NAMCS), new 
clinical groups may be expanded to include dentists, psychologists, 
podiatrists, chiropractors, optometrists), mid-level providers (e.g., 
physician assistants, advanced practice nurses, nurse practitioners, 
certified nurse midwives) and allied-health professionals (e.g., 
certified nursing aides, medical assistants, radiology technicians, 
laboratory technicians, pharmacists, dieticians/nutritionists). Current 
sampling frames such as those

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from the American Medical Association may be obtained and studied, as 
well as frames that are not currently in use by NAMCS, such as state 
and organizational listings of other licensed providers. (2) Within the 
National Study of Long-Term Care Providers, additional new frames may 
be sought and evaluated and data items from home care agencies, long-
term care hospitals, and facilities exclusively serving individuals 
with intellectual/developmental disability may be tested. Similarly, 
data may be obtained from lists compiled by states and other 
organizations. Data about the facilities as well as residents and their 
visits will be investigated. (3) In the inpatient and outpatient care 
settings, the National Hospital Care Survey (NHCS) and the National 
Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey (NHAMCS) may investigate the 
addition of facility and patient information especially as it relates 
to insurance and electronic medical records.
    Projects under development or in the planning stages include two 
projects related to opioid use: One that will investigate adding 
questions to NAMCS on physician understanding of guidelines for opioid 
use and one that will test the validation of an algorithm for 
identifying opioid-involved hospital visits. Another study will develop 
a Hospital-Based Victim Services Frame.
    The National Health Care Surveys collect critical, accurate data 
that are used to produce reliable national estimates--and in recent 
years (when budget allows), state-level estimates--of clinical services 
and of the providers who delivered those services in inpatient, 
outpatient, ambulatory, and long-term care settings. The data from 
these surveys are used by providers, policy makers and researchers to 
address important topics of interest, including the quality and 
disparities of care among populations, epidemiology of medical 
conditions, diffusion of technologies, effects of policies and practice 
guidelines, and changes in health care over time. Research studies need 
to be conducted to improve existing and proposed survey design and 
procedures of the National Health Care Surveys, as well as to evaluate 
alternative data collection approaches particularly due to the 
expansion of electronic health record use, and to develop new sample 
frames of currently out-of-scope providers and settings of care. There 
is no cost to respondents other than their time to participate. Average 
burdens are designed to cover 15-40 min interviews as well as 90-minute 
focus groups, longer on-site visits, and situations where organizations 
may be preparing electronic data files. The total estimated annualized 
burden hours are 7,085.

                                   Table 1--Estimated Annualized Burden Hours
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                                                                                                      Average
                                                                     Number of       Number of      burden per
          Type of respondents                   Form name           respondents    responses per   response  (in
                                                                                    respondent        hours)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Health Care Providers and Business      Interviews, surveys,               6,667               1               1
 entities.                               focus groups,
                                         experiments (in person,
                                         phone, internet, postal/
                                         electronic mail).
Health Care Providers, State/local      Interviews, surveys,                 167               1             2.5
 government agencies, and business       focus groups,
 entities.                               experiments (in person,
                                         phone, internet, postal/
                                         electronic mail).
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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. 2020-06947 Filed 4-2-20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4163-18-P