[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 112 (Wednesday, June 10, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 35425-35427]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-12565]


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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: ``Generic Clearance for Questionnaire and Data Collection 
Testing, Evaluation, and Research for the Agency for Healthcare 
Research and Quality.''

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

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

Generic Clearance for Questionnaire and Data Collection Testing, 
Evaluation, and Research for the Agency for Healthcare Research and 
Quality

    The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) requests that 
the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) reapprove generic pre-testing 
Clearance 0935-0124 for three years to facilitate AHRQ's efforts to (1) 
employ evaluation-type methods and techniques to improve AHRQ's current 
data collection and estimation procedures, (2) develop new collections 
and procedures, including toolkits, and (3) revise existing collections 
and procedures. AHRQ believes that developing, testing, and evaluating 
data collection and estimation procedures using survey methods and 
other techniques in anticipation of agency-sponsored studies can 
improve its information collection efforts, and the products it 
develops and allow AHRQ to be more responsive to fast-changing 
developments in the health care research field. AHRQ uses techniques to 
simplify data collection and estimation procedures, reduce respondent 
burden, and improve efficiencies to meet the needs of individuals and 
small business respondents who may have reduced budgets and staff.
    This clearance request is limited to research on data collection, 
toolkit development, and estimation procedures and reports and does not 
extend to the collection of data for public release or policy 
formation. The current Clearance (0935-0124) was granted on November 3, 
2017, and expires on November 30, 2020.
    This generic clearance will allow AHRQ to draft and test toolkits, 
survey instruments and other data collection and estimation procedures 
more quickly and with greater lead time, thereby managing project time 
more efficiently and improving the quality of the data AHRQ collects. 
In some instances, the ability to test and evaluate toolkits, data 
collection and estimation procedures in anticipation of work or early 
in a project may result in the decision not to proceed with additional 
activities, which could save both public and private resources and 
eliminate respondent burden.
    This generic clearance will facilitate AHRQ's response to a 
changing environment. Many of the tools AHRQ develops are made 
available to the private sector to assist in improving health care 
quality. The health and health care environment changes rapidly and 
requires a quick response from AHRQ to provide refined tools.
    These preliminary research activities will not be used by AHRQ to 
regulate or sanction its customers. They will be entirely voluntary and 
the confidentiality of respondents and their responses will be 
preserved. Proposed information collections submitted under this 
generic clearance will be submitted for review by OMB with a response 
expected in 14 days.

[[Page 35426]]

Method of Collection

    The information collected through preliminary research activities 
under this generic clearance will be used by AHRQ to employ techniques 
to (1) improve AHRQ's current data collection and estimation 
procedures, (2) develop new collections and procedures, including 
toolkits, and (3) revise existing collections and procedures in 
anticipation or in response to changes in the health or health care 
field. The end result will be improvement in AHRQ's data collections 
and procedures and the quality of data collected, a reduction or 
minimization of respondent burden, increased agency efficiency, and 
improved responsiveness to the public.

Estimated Annual Respondent Burden

    Exhibit 1 shows the estimated burden hours, over the full three 
years of this clearance, for the respondents' time to participate in 
the research activities that may be conducted under this generic 
clearance. Mail surveys will be conducted with about 6,000 persons 
(2,000 per year for three years) and are estimated to average 20 
minutes. Mail surveys may also be sent to respondents via email, and 
may include a telephone non-response follow-up. Telephone non-response 
follow-up for mailed surveys is not counted as a telephone survey in 
Exhibit 1. Not more than 600 persons, over three years, will 
participate in telephone surveys that will take about 40 minutes. Web-
based surveys will be conducted with no more than 3,000 persons and 
will require no more than 10 minutes to complete. About 1,500 persons 
will participate in focus groups which may last up to two hours, while 
in-person interviews will be conducted with 600 persons and will take 
about 50 minutes. Automated data collection will be conducted for about 
1,500 persons and could take up to 1 hour. Cognitive testing will be 
conducted with about 600 persons and is estimated to take 1\1/2\ hours 
to complete. The total burden over three years is estimated to be 8,900 
hours (about 2,967 hours per year).
    Exhibit 2 shows the estimated cost burden over three years, based 
on the respondents' time to participate in these research activities. 
The total cost burden is estimated to be $357,869.

                               Exhibit 1--Estimated Burden Hours Over Three Years
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                                                                     Number of
         Type of information collection              Number of     responses per     Hours per     Total burden
                                                    respondents     respondent       response          hours
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Mail/email \*\..................................           6,000               1           20/60           2,000
Telephone.......................................             600               1           40/60             400
Web-based.......................................           3,000               1           10/60             500
Focus Groups....................................           1,500               1             2.0           3,000
In-person.......................................             600               1             1.0             600
Automated \**\..................................           1,500               1             1.0           1,500
Cognitive Testing \***\.........................             600               1             1.5             900
                                                 ---------------------------------------------------------------
    Totals......................................          13,800              na              na           8,900
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* May include telephone non-response follow-up in which case the burden will not change
** May include testing of database software, CAPI software or other automated technologies.
*** May include cognitive interviews for questionnaire or toolkit development, or ``think aloud'' testing of
  prototype websites.


                                Exhibit 2--Estimated Cost Burden Over Three Years
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                                                                                      Average
         Type of information collection              Number of     Total burden     hourly wage     Total cost
                                                    respondents        hours          rate *          burden
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Mail/email......................................           6,000           2,000          $40.21        $ 80,420
Telephone.......................................             600             400           40.21          16,084
Web-based.......................................           3,000             500           40.21          20,105
Focus Groups....................................           1,500           3,000           40.21         120,630
In-person.......................................             600             600           40.21          24,126
Automated.......................................           1,500           1,500           40.21          60,315
Cognitive Testing...............................             600             900           40.21          36,189
                                                 ---------------------------------------------------------------
    Totals......................................          13,800           8,900              na         357,869
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* Bureau of Labor & Statistics on ``Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2019'' found at the following URL:
  https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes_nat.htm#b29-0000.htm for the respondents.

Request for Comments

    In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act, 44 U.S.C. 3501-
3520, 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 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.


[[Page 35427]]


    Dated: June 5, 2020.
Virginia L. Mackay-Smith,
Associate Director.
[FR Doc. 2020-12565 Filed 6-9-20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4160-90-P