[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 60 (Wednesday, March 29, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 18548-18549]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-06421]


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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 ``AHRQ Research Reporting System (ARRS).'' The purpose of this 
notice is to allow 60 days for public comment.

DATES: Comments on this notice must be received by May 30, 2023.

ADDRESSES: Written comments should be submitted to: Doris Lefkowitz, 
Reports Clearance Officer, AHRQ, by email at 
[email protected].

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

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Proposed Project

AHRQ Research Reporting System (ARRS)

    AHRQ has developed a systematic method for its grantees to report 
project progress and important preliminary findings for grants funded 
by the Agency. This system, the AHRQ Research Reporting System (ARRS), 
previously known as the Grants Reporting System (GRS), was last 
approved by OMB on August 31, 2020. The system addressed the shortfalls 
in the previous reporting process and established a consistent and 
comprehensive reporting solution for grants in AHRQ. The ARRS provides 
a centralized repository of grants research progress and additional 
information that can be used to support initiatives within the Agency. 
This includes future research planning and support for administrative 
activities such as performance monitoring, budgeting, and knowledge 
transfer, as well as for strategic planning.
    This Project has the following goals:
    (1) To promote the transfer of critical information more frequently 
and efficiently and enhance the Agency's ability to support research 
designed to improve the outcomes and quality of health care, reduce its 
costs, and broaden access to effective services.
    (2) To increase the efficiency of the Agency in responding to ad-
hoc information requests.
    (3) To support Executive Branch requirements for increased 
transparency and public reporting.
    (4) To establish a consistent approach throughout the Agency for 
information collection regarding grant progress and a systematic basis 
for oversight and for facilitating potential collaborations among 
grantees.
    (5) To decrease the inconvenience and burden on grantees of 
unanticipated ad-hoc requests for information by the Agency in response 
to particular (one-time) internal and external requests for 
information.
    This project is being conducted by AHRQ through its contractor, 
Science Applications International Corporation, Inc, pursuant to AHRQ's 
statutory authority to conduct and support research on health care and 
on systems for the delivery of such care, including activities with 
respect to the quality, effectiveness, efficiency, appropriateness, and 
value of healthcare services and with respect to quality measurement 
and improvement. 42 U.S.C 299a(a)(1) and (2)

Method of Collection

    Grantees use the ARRS system to report project progress and 
important preliminary findings for grants funded by the Agency. 
Grantees submit progress reports on a monthly or quarterly basis, which 
are reviewed by AHRQ personnel. All users access the ARRS system 
through a secure online interface which requires a user id and password 
entered through the ARRS Login screen. When status reports are due AHRQ 
notifies Principal Investigators (PI) via email.
    The ARRS is an automated user-friendly resource that is utilized by 
AHRQ staff for preparing, distributing, and reviewing reporting 
requests to grantees for the purpose of information sharing. AHRQ 
personnel are able to systematically search the information collected 
and stored in the ARRS database. Personnel will also use the 
information to address internal and/or external requests for 
information regarding grant progress, preliminary findings, and other 
requests, such as Freedom of Information Act requests, and producing 
responses related to federally mandated programs and regulations.

Estimated Annual Respondent Burden

    Exhibit 1 shows the estimated annualized burden hours for the 
respondents. It will take grantees an estimated 15 minutes to enter the 
necessary data into the ARRS System. Frequency of reporting varies from 
monthly to once a year. The total number of responses submitted for the 
past year is considered for this estimation. Based on that, the total 
annualized burden hours are estimated to be 125 hours.
    Exhibit 2 shows the estimated annualized cost burden for the 
respondents. The total estimated cost burden for respondents is $5,475.

                                  Exhibit 1--Estimated Annualized Burden Hours
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                                                                     Number of       Hours per     Total burden
                            Form name                                responses       response          hours
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Data entry into ARRS............................................             500           15/60             125
                                                                 -----------------------------------------------
    Total.......................................................             500             N/A             125
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                                   Exhibit 2--Estimated Annualized Cost Burden
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                                                                                      Average
                    Form name                        Number of     Total burden     hourly wage     Total cost
                                                     responses         hours          rate *          burden
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Data entry into ARRS............................             500             125          $43.80          $5,475
                                                 ---------------------------------------------------------------
    Total.......................................             500             125             N/A           5,475
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* Based upon the average wages for Healthcare Practitioner and Technical Occupations (29-0000), ``National
  Compensation Survey: Occupational Wages in the United States, May 2021,'' U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of
  Labor Statistics, http://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes_nat.htm#29-0000.

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'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: March 21, 2023.
Marquita Cullom,
Associate Director.
[FR Doc. 2023-06421 Filed 3-28-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4160-90-P