[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 7 (Tuesday, January 11, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Pages 1421-1422]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2022-00328]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Health Resources and Services Administration


Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection: 
Public Comment Request; Telehealth Resource Center Performance 
Measurement Tool, OMB No. 0915-0361--Extension

AGENCY: Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), Department 
of Health and Human Services.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: In compliance with the requirement for opportunity for public 
comment on proposed data collection projects of the Paperwork Reduction 
Act of 1995, HRSA announces plans to submit an Information Collection 
Request (ICR), described below, to the Office of Management and Budget 
(OMB). Prior to submitting the ICR to OMB, HRSA seeks comments from the 
public regarding the burden estimate, below, or any other aspect of the 
ICR.

DATES: Comments on this ICR should be received no later than March 14, 
2022.

ADDRESSES: Submit your comments to [email protected] or by mail to the 
HRSA Information Collection Clearance Officer, Room 14N136B, 5600 
Fishers Lane, Rockville, MD 20857.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: To request more information on the 
proposed project or to obtain a copy of the data collection plans and 
draft instruments, email [email protected] or call Samantha Miller, 
the acting

[[Page 1422]]

HRSA Information Collection Clearance Officer at (301) 443-9094.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: When submitting comments or requesting 
information, please include the information collection request title 
for reference.
    Information Collection Request Title: Telehealth Resource Center 
Performance Measurement Tool OMB No. 0915-0361--Extension
    Abstract: HRSA requests an extension of their Telehealth Resource 
Center Performance Measurement Tool. The Telehealth Resource Centers 
(TRC) deliver telehealth technical assistance. There are two types of 
HRSA TRC programs:

 Two National Telehealth Resource Center Programs focus on 
policy and technology.
 12 Regional Telehealth Resource Center Programs host 
activities and provide resources to rural and underserved areas.

    The HRSA Telehealth Resource Centers:

 Provide training and support
 Publicize information and research findings
 Support collaboration and partnerships
 Promote effective partnerships
 Promote the use of telehealth by providing health care 
information and education to the public and medical specialists.

    The TRCs share expertise through individual consults, training, 
webinars, conference presentations, and the web.
    Need and Proposed Use of the Information: In order to evaluate 
existing programs, data are submitted to HRSA's Office for the 
Advancement of Telehealth (OAT) through HRSA's Performance Improvement 
Management System (PIMS). The data are used to measure the 
effectiveness of the technical assistance (TA). There is one data 
reporting period each year; during these reporting periods, data are 
reported for the previous twelve months of activity. Programs have 
approximately six weeks to enter their data into the PIMS system during 
each annual reporting period.
    The instrument was developed with the following four goals in mind:
    1. Improving access to needed services,
    2. Reducing rural and underserved population practitioner 
isolation,
    3. Improving health system productivity and efficiency, and
    4. Improving patient outcomes.
    The TRCs currently report on existing performance data elements 
using PIMS. The performance measures are designed to assess how the TRC 
program is meeting its goals to:
     Expand the availability of telehealth services in 
underserved communities;
     Improve the quality, efficiency, and effectiveness of 
telehealth services;
     Promote knowledge exchange and dissemination about 
efficient and effective telehealth practices and technology; and
     Establish sustainable TA centers providing quality, 
unbiased TA for the development and expansion of effective and 
efficient telehealth services in underserved communities.
    Additionally, the PIMS tool allows OAT to:
     Determine the value added from the TRC Cooperative 
Agreement;
     Justify budget requests;
     Collect uniform, consistent data which enables OAT to 
monitor programs;
     Provide guidance to grantees on important indicators to 
track over time for their own internal program management;
     Measure performance relative to the mission of OAT/HRSA as 
well as individual goals and objectives of the program;
     Identify topics of interest for future special studies; 
and
     Identify changes in health care needs within rural and 
underserved communities, allowing programs to shift focus in order to 
meet those needs.
    Likely Respondents: The likely respondents will be telehealth 
associations, telehealth providers, rural and underserved health 
providers, clinicians that deliver services via telehealth, technical 
assistance providers, research organizations and academic medical 
centers.
    Burden Statement: Burden in this context means the time expended by 
persons to generate, maintain, retain, disclose, or provide the 
information requested. This includes the time needed to review 
instructions; to develop, acquire, install, and utilize technology and 
systems for the purpose of collecting, validating and verifying 
information, processing and maintaining information, and disclosing and 
providing information; to train personnel and to be able to respond to 
a collection of information; to search data sources; to complete and 
review the collection of information; and to transmit or otherwise 
disclose the information. The total annual burden hours estimated for 
this ICR are summarized in the table below.

                                     Total Estimated Annualized Burden Hours
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                                                     Number of                    Average burden
            Form name                Number of     responses per       Total       per response    Total burden
                                    respondents     respondent       responses      (in hours)         hours
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Telehealth Resource Center                    14              42             588            0.07              41
 Performance Measurement Tool...
                                              14  ..............             588  ..............              41
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    HRSA specifically requests comments on (1) the necessity and 
utility of the proposed information collection for the proper 
performance of the agency's functions, (2) the accuracy of the 
estimated burden, (3) ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity 
of the information to be collected, and (4) the use of automated 
collection techniques or other forms of information technology to 
minimize the information collection burden.

Maria G. Button,
Director, Executive Secretariat.
[FR Doc. 2022-00328 Filed 1-10-22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4165-15-P