[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 112 (Wednesday, June 10, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 35427-35428]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-12513]


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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: ``Evaluation of Learning Health Systems K12 Training 
Program.'' This proposed information collection was previously 
published in the Federal Register on March 12, 2020, and allowed 60 
days for public comment. No comments were received from the public 
during this period. The purpose of this notice is to allow an 
additional 30 days for public comment.

DATES: Comments on this notice must be received by 30 days after date 
of publication of this Notice.

ADDRESSES: Written 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.

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

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Proposed Project

Evaluation of Learning Health Systems K12 Training Program

    AHRQ, in partnership with the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research 
Institute (PCORI), supports an innovative institutional mentored career 
development program (K12) to train clinician and research scientists to 
conduct patient-centered outcomes research within learning health 
systems (LHSs). LHSs provide an environment where science generated 
from health services research, patient-centered outcomes research 
(PCOR), and clinical research; informatics; incentives; and culture are 
aligned for continuous improvement and innovation. In addition, in an 
LHS, best practices are seamlessly embedded in the care process, in 
which stakeholders (i.e., providers, patients, and families) are active 
participants in all elements, and new knowledge is captured as an 
integral by-product of the care experience. The following are the LHS 
K12 training program objectives:
     Develop and implement a training program that includes 
both didactic and experiential learning and embeds the scholars in 
training at the interface of research, informatics, and clinical 
operations within LHSs.
     Identify, recruit, and train clinician and research 
scientists who are committed to conducting PCOR in healthcare settings 
that generate new evidence to facilitate rapid implementation of 
practices that will improve quality of care and patient outcomes.
     Establish Centers of Excellence (COEs) in LHS Research 
Training, focusing on the application and mastery of the newly 
developed core LHS researcher competencies.
     Promote cross-institutional scholar-mentor interactions, 
cooperation on multisite projects, dissemination of project findings, 
methodological advances, and development of a shared curriculum.
    The purpose of this evaluation is to assess the overall achievement 
of the LHS K12 training program's objectives, outcomes, and impact, as 
well as the program's value to its stakeholders. The information 
collected through this data collection will allow AHRQ to improve the 
LHS K12 program and identify whether results correspond to intentional 
changes in program strategy and implementation.
    This study is being conducted by AHRQ through its contractor, 2M 
Research, pursuant to AHRQ's statutory authority to ``build capacity 
for comparative clinical effectiveness research by establishing a grant 
program that provides for the training of researchers in the methods 
used to conduct such research.'' 42 U.S.C. 299b-37(e).

Method of Collection

    The evaluation will include two types of data collection: (1) Semi-
structured interviews with scholars who are close to completing the LHS 
K12 training program, their health system advisors, and program 
directors of each of the 11 institutions; and (2) surveys with health 
system advisors. The proposed data collection spans three years (2020-
2023).
    To achieve the goals of this project the following data collections 
will be implemented.
    1. Scholar Interview: Interviews with LHS K12 scholars assess the 
degree of scholar embeddedness in their respective health systems and 
query which aspects of the training program were most and least 
successful. Telephone interviews will be conducted one time with 
scholars who are currently enrolled but close to (within 2 to 3 months 
of) completing the LHS K12 training program. The total estimated number 
of scholars interviewed will be approximately up to 123 (or 
approximately 41 scholars annually).
    2. Health System Advisor Interview: Interviews with scholars' 
health system advisors assess the perceived value of the LHS K12 
training program to the health system and the role of health system 
advisors in supporting the research conducted by LHS K12 scholars. One 
health system advisor from each scholar's advisory committee will be 
interviewed by telephone. Health system advisors selected for 
interviews will include those with direct involvement with or knowledge 
of the LHS K12 scholars' research projects. Health system advisors will 
be interviewed once around the same time that the scholar is 
interviewed. The total estimated number of health system advisors 
interviewed will be approximately up to 116 (or approximately 39 health 
system advisors annually).
    3. Program Director Interview: Interviews with LHS K12 program 
directors assess the perceived value of the LHS K12 training program to 
the health system and the role of health system advisors in supporting 
the LHS K12 training program. The program director of each of the 
grantee institutions participating in the LHS K12 program will be 
interviewed by telephone in the final year of the LHS K12 program. The 
total number of program directors interviewed will be 10 (or 
approximately 4 program directors annually).
    4. Health System Advisor Survey: Pre-post surveys with scholars' 
health system advisors measure change in attitudes toward the role of 
health systems research and the importance of patient, family, and 
other stakeholder engagement in research. A brief survey will be 
administered electronically to health system advisors at two time 
points: Once at the beginning and conclusion of their respective 
scholar's

[[Page 35428]]

training. The total number of health system advisors surveyed will be 
approximately up to 190 (or approximately 63 health system directors 
annually).
    AHRQ will use the information collected through this Information 
Collection Request to assess the program progress of the LHS K12 
training program, and impact to its LHS stakeholders in a prospective 
manner. The information collected will facilitate program planning.

Estimated Annual Respondent Burden

    Table 1 shows the estimated annualized burden hours required for 
respondents to participate in this evaluation. Interviews will be 
conducted with a total of 123 scholars, 116 health system advisors, and 
10 program directors (approximately 41 scholars, 39 health system 
advisors, and 4 program directors each year). Each interview is 
expected to last approximately 60 minutes. Surveys will be conducted 
with a total of 190 health system advisors (or approximately 63 health 
system advisors each year). The survey is expected to take less than 10 
minutes. The total hour burden is expected to be 284.13 hours (or 
approximately 94.71 hours each year) for this participant data 
collection effort.

                                   Table 1--Estimated Annualized Burden Hours
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                                                   Estimated                     Average time     Total annual
                  Instrument                       number of     Frequency of    per response    burden estimate
                                                  respondents      response         (hours)          (hours)
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Scholar Interviews............................              41               1            1.00             41.00
Health System Advisor Interviews..............              39               1            1.00             39.00
Program Director Interviews...................               4               1            1.00              4.00
Health System Advisor Surveys.................              63               1            0.17             10.71
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    Estimated Annual Total....................             147  ..............  ..............             94.71
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    Table 2 shows the estimated annualized cost burden based on the 
time required for respondents to participate in this project. This cost 
was calculated using average hourly earnings for May 2018, obtained 
from the Bureau of Labor Statistics' estimates for occupational 
employment wages. The total estimated cost burden for this data 
collection is $19,580.75 (or approximately $6,526.92 each year). The 
following hourly wages were used in the annualized cost calculations: 
$37.38 per hour for a scholar, $96.22 per hour for a health system 
advisor, and $52.81 per hour for a program director.

                                    Table 2--Estimated Annualized Cost Burden
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                                                   Estimated      Total annual
                  Instrument                       number of     burden estimate    Hourly rate     Total cost
                                                  respondents        (hours)
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Scholar Interviews *..........................              41             41.00          $37.38       $1,532.58
Health System Advisor Interviews **...........              39             39.00          $96.22        3,752.58
Program Director Interviews ***...............               4              4.00          $52.81          211.24
Health System Advisor Surveys **..............              63             10.71          $96.22        1,030.52
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    Estimated Annual Total....................             147             94.71  ..............        6,526.92
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Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), U.S. Department of Labor. (2018). Occupational employment statistics May 2018
  national wages. https://www.bls.gov/oes/home.htm
* The hourly wage for scholars varies depending on the scholar's degree. AHRQ averaged hourly wages using the
  following occupations code to develop an estimate that represents the mix of medical and academic degrees: 29-
  0000, 29-1000, 21-0000.
** AHRQ anticipates that many health system advisors will be C-suite leaders. The hourly wage for BLS's
  occupation code 11-1010 (chief executive) was used for this estimate.
*** Program directors hold various roles and responsibilities and, therefore, have varied salaries. For the
  purpose of this estimate, the hourly wages for the following managerial and post-secondary occupational codes
  were averaged: 11-3131,11-1021,11-9030,11-9033,11-9039, and 11-9199.

Request for Comments

    In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act, 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: June 4, 2020.
Virginia L. Mackay-Smith,
Associate Director.
[FR Doc. 2020-12513 Filed 6-9-20; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4160-90-P