[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 53 (Friday, March 18, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Pages 15429-15430]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2022-05757]



[[Page 15429]]

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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

[60-Day-22-0234; Docket No. CDC-2022-0038]


Proposed Data Collection Submitted for Public Comment and 
Recommendations

AGENCY: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Department of 
Health and Human Services (HHS).

ACTION: Notice with comment period.

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SUMMARY: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), as part 
of its continuing effort to reduce public burden and maximize the 
utility of government information, invites the general public and other 
federal agencies the opportunity to comment on a proposed and/or 
continuing information collection, as required by the Paperwork 
Reduction Act of 1995. This notice invites comment on a proposed 
information collection project titled the National Ambulatory Medical 
Care Survey (NAMCS). The goal of this project is to assess the health 
of the population through patient use of physician and advanced 
practice provider offices and health centers (HCs), and to monitor the 
characteristics of physician and provider practices.

DATES: CDC must receive written comments on or before May 17, 2022.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments, identified by Docket No. CDC-2022-
0038 by either of the following methods:
     Federal eRulemaking Portal: Regulations.gov. Follow the 
instructions for submitting comments.
     Mail: Jeffrey M. Zirger, Information Collection Review 
Office, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1600 Clifton Road 
NE, MS H21-8, Atlanta, Georgia 30329.
    Instructions: All submissions received must include the agency name 
and Docket Number. CDC will post, without change, all relevant comments 
to regulations.gov.
    Please note: Submit all comments through the Federal eRulemaking 
portal (regulations.gov) or by U.S. mail to the address listed above.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: To request more information on the 
proposed project or to obtain a copy of the information collection plan 
and instruments, contact Jeffrey M. Zirger, Information Collection 
Review Office, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1600 Clifton 
Road NE, MS H21-8, Atlanta, Georgia 30329; phone: 404-639-7570; Email: 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 
(PRA) (44 U.S.C. 3501-3520), federal agencies must obtain approval from 
the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for each collection of 
information they conduct or sponsor. In addition, the PRA also requires 
federal agencies to provide a 60-day notice in the Federal Register 
concerning each proposed collection of information, including each new 
proposed collection, each proposed extension of existing collection of 
information, and each reinstatement of previously approved information 
collection before submitting the collection to the OMB for approval. To 
comply with this requirement, we are publishing this notice of a 
proposed data collection as described below.
    The OMB is particularly interested in comments that will help:
    1. 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;
    2. Evaluate the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden of 
the proposed collection of information, including the validity of the 
methodology and assumptions used;
    3. Enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to 
be collected;
    4. 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 
submissions of responses; and
    5. Assess information collection costs.

Proposed Project

    National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey (NAMCS) (OMB Control No. 
0920-0234, Exp. 07/31/2024)--Revision--National Center for Health 
Statistics (NCHS), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Background and Brief Description

    The National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey (NAMCS) was conducted 
intermittently from 1973 through 1985, and annually since 1989. The 
survey is conducted under authority of Section 306 of the Public Health 
Service Act (42 U.S.C. 242k). NAMCS is part of the ambulatory care 
component of the National Health Care Surveys (NHCS), a family of 
provider-based surveys that capture health care utilization from a 
variety of settings, including hospital inpatient and long-term care 
facilities. NCHS surveys of health care providers include NAMCS, the 
National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey (NHAMCS) (OMB Control 
No. 0920-0278, Exp. 09/30/2023), the National Hospital Care Survey 
(NHCS) (OMB Control No. 0920-0212, Exp. 03/31/2022), and National Post-
acute and Long-term Care Study (NPALS) (OMB Control No. 0920-0943, Exp. 
09/30/2023).
    An overarching purpose of NAMCS is to meet the needs and demands 
for statistical information about the provision of ambulatory medical 
care services in the United States; this fulfills one of NCHS' 
missions, to monitor the nation's health. In addition, NAMCS provides 
ambulatory medical care data to study: (1) Performance of the U.S. 
health care system, (2) care for the rapidly aging population, (3) 
changes in services such as health insurance coverage change, (4) 
introduction of new medical technologies, and (5) use of electronic 
health records (EHRs). Ongoing societal changes have led to 
considerable diversification in the organization, financing, and 
technological delivery of ambulatory medical care. This diversification 
is evidenced by the proliferation of insurance and benefit alternatives 
for individuals, the development of new forms of physician group 
practices and practice arrangements (such as office-based practices 
owned by hospitals), the increasing role of advanced practice providers 
delivering clinical care, and growth in the number of alternative sites 
of care.
    Ambulatory services are rendered in a wide variety of settings, 
including physician/provider offices and hospital outpatient and 
emergency departments. Since more than 65% of ambulatory medical care 
visits occur in physician offices, NAMCS provides data on the majority 
of ambulatory medical care services. In addition to health care 
provided in physician offices and outpatient and emergency departments, 
health centers (HCs) play an important role in the health care 
community by providing care to people who might not be able to afford 
it otherwise. HCs are local, non-profit, community-owned health care 
settings, which serve approximately 28 million individuals throughout 
the United States.
    This Revision seeks approval to conduct changes to all three 
components of NAMCS. We plan to adjust the HC Component and Provider 
Interview sample sizes. In 2022 the goal is to sample 5,000 physicians, 
5,000 advanced practice providers, and 110 HCs. In 2023, we plan to 
sample up to 10,000 physicians, 20,000 advanced

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practice providers, and 210 HCs, if funds allow. Lastly, if funds 
allow, in 2024 we will sample up to 20,000 physicians, 40,000 advanced 
practice providers, and 310 HCs. For 2022-2024, there will be an 
additional 3,000 physicians sampled yearly for the Provider Electronic 
Component. Questions on the Health Center Facility Interview will be 
modified. After 2021, the Physician Induction Interview will shift to a 
redesigned Ambulatory Care Provider Interview. Visit data collection 
via abstraction will be placed on a hold and the reinterview study will 
be discontinued. The provider incentive experiment will also no longer 
be taking place, as we will begin to conduct other methodological work 
to improve upon the survey.
    CDC requests OMB approval for an estimated 32,302 annual burden 
hours. There are no costs to respondents other than their time to 
participate.

                                        Estimated Annualized Burden Hours
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                                                                     Number of      Avg. burden
      Type of respondents           Form name        Number of     responses per   per response    Total burden
                                                    respondents     respondent       (in hrs.)       (in hrs.)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Physician or Staff............  Office-Based                 500               1           30/60             250
                                 Physician
                                 Induction
                                 Interview.
                                Reinterview                   42               1           15/60              11
                                 Study.
HC's Staff....................  Prepare and                   17               4           60/60              68
                                 transmit EHR
                                 for Visit Data
                                 (quarterly).
                                Set-up fee                    17               1           15/60               4
                                 questionnaire.
Physician or Staff............  ACPI............          11,667               1           30/60           5,834
Advanced Practice Provider or   ACPI............          21,667               1           30/60          10,834
 Staff.
Ambulatory Care Provider's or   PFI.............           3,000               1           45/60           2,250
 Group's or Conglomerate's      Prepare and                3,000               4           60/60          12,000
 Staff.                          transmit
                                 Electronic
                                 Visit Data
                                 (quarterly).
HC's Staff....................  HC Facility                  210               1           45/60             158
                                 Interview.
                                Prepare and                  210               4           60/60             840
                                 transmit EHR
                                 for Visit Data
                                 (quarterly).
                                Set-up fee                   210               1           15/60              53
                                 questionnaire.
                                                 ---------------------------------------------------------------
    Total.....................  ................  ..............  ..............  ..............          32,302
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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. 2022-05757 Filed 3-17-22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4163-18-P