[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 228 (Wednesday, November 29, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 83419-83420]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-26248]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Health Resources and Services Administration


Agency Information Collection Activities: Submission to OMB for 
Review and Approval; Public Comment Request; Evidence Based Telehealth 
Network Program Measures

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

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, HRSA 
submitted an Information Collection Request (ICR) to the Office of 
Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval. Comments submitted 
during the first public review of this ICR will be provided to OMB. OMB 
will accept further comments from the public during the review and 
approval period. OMB may act on HRSA's ICR only after the 30-day 
comment period for this notice has closed.

DATES: Comments on this ICR should be received no later than December 
29, 2023.

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 information 
collection by selecting ``Currently under Review--Open for Public 
Comments'' or by using the search function.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: To request a copy of the clearance 
requests submitted to OMB for review, email Joella Roland, the HRSA 
Information Collection Clearance Officer, at [email protected] or call 
(301) 443-3983.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 
    Information Collection Request Title: Evidence Based Telehealth 
Network Program Measures, OMB No. 0906-0043--Revision.
    Abstract: This ICR is for a revision of a currently approved 
information collection of measures for the Office for the Advancement 
of Telehealth's (OAT) Evidence Based Telehealth Network Program, under 
which OAT administers cooperative agreements in accordance with section 
330I of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 254c-14), as amended. 
The purpose of this program is to fund evidence-based projects that 
utilize telehealth technologies through telehealth networks to expand 
access to, and improve access to and the quality of, health care 
services. This program will work to help assess the effectiveness of 
evidence-based practices with the use of telehealth for patients, 
providers, and payers.
    In the Evidence-Based Telehealth Network Program Report, the 
adjusted data collection instrument includes the addition, removal, and 
revision of measures, with 27 total data elements addressing patient 
encounter information. The current measures focus on behavioral health 
and the proposed adjusted measures allow for the inclusion of broader 
health care services and expanded outcome measures. Five data elements 
were updated to specify data collection that allows for deeper 
understanding of outcomes related to socioeconomic indicators. The 
estimated burden for the Evidence-Based Telehealth Network Program

[[Page 83420]]

Report has decreased since the data collection frequency is changing 
from monthly to quarterly. In addition, the information collected from 
grantees in the Performance Improvement and Measurement System more 
closely aligns measures with the Notice of Funding Opportunity and will 
assist in clarifying program measures and impact. These adjustments 
allow OAT to gain a more thorough understanding of how to utilize 
telehealth technologies through telehealth to improve access to, and 
improve the quality of, health care services.
    A 60-day notice published in the Federal Register on August 18, 
2023, 88 FR 56640-41. There were no public comments, but OAT made minor 
adjustments to the numbering, wording, and some categories on the Rural 
Telehealth Research Center Data Dictionary and accompanying Direct-to-
Consumer Telehealth Evidence Collection tool to increase ease of use.
    Need and Proposed Use of the Information: The measures will enable 
HRSA and OAT to capture data that illustrate the impact and scope of 
federal funding along with assessing these efforts. The measures cover 
the principal topic areas of interest to OAT, including: (1) population 
demographics, (2) access to health care, (3) cost savings and cost-
effectiveness, and (4) clinical outcomes.
    Likely Respondents: The likely respondents are award recipients of 
the Evidence Based Telehealth Network Program.
    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.

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                                                                                      Average
   Total estimated annualized        Number of       Number of         Total        burden per     Total burden
  burden hours: instrument name     respondents    responses per     responses     response (in        hours
                                                    respondent                        hours)
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Evidence-Based Telehealth                     11               4              44              31           1,364
 Network Program Report.........
Telehealth Performance                        11               1              11               5              55
 Measurement Report.............
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    Total.......................            * 11  ..............              55  ..............           1,419
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* HRSA estimates 11 unique respondents, each completing the two forms.

    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. 2023-26248 Filed 11-28-23; 8:45 am]
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