[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 228 (Wednesday, November 29, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 83420-83421]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-26249]


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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; Rural Health Network 
Development Program Performance Improvement Measurement System, OMB No. 
0906-0010-Revision

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: Rural Health Network 
Development Program Performance Improvement Measurement System, OMB No. 
0906-0010-Revision.
    Abstract: The Rural Health Network Development (RHND) program is 
authorized under section 330A(f) of the Public Health Service Act (42 
U.S.C. 254c(f)). The purpose of this program is to support integrated 
health care networks that collaborate to achieve efficiencies; expand 
access to, coordinate, and improve the quality of basic health care 
services and associated health outcomes; and strengthen the rural 
health care system as a whole. The program supports networks as they 
address gaps in service, enhance systems of care, and expand capacity 
of the local health care system.
    RHND-funded programs promote population health management and the 
transition towards value-based care through diverse network 
participants that include traditional and nontraditional network 
partners. Evidence of program impact demonstrated by outcome data and 
program sustainability are integral components of the program. This is 
a 4-year competitive program for networks composed of at least three 
participants that are existing health care providers. At least 66 
percent of network

[[Page 83421]]

participants must be located in a HRSA-designated rural area.
    HRSA currently collects information about RHND awards using an OMB-
approved set of performance measures and seeks to revise that approved 
collection. The proposed revisions are being implemented to better 
gather award recipient data in response to previously accumulated award 
recipient feedback, peer-reviewed research, and information gathered 
from the previously approved RHND measures.
    A 60-day notice was published in the Federal Register on July 20, 
2023, 88 FR 46800-46801. There was one public comment. No changes were 
made to the information collection since the comment was outside the 
scope of this ICR.
    Need and Proposed Use of the Information: This program needs 
measures that will enable HRSA to provide aggregate program data 
required by Congress under the Government Performance and Results Act 
of 1993. These measures cover the principal topic areas of interest to 
HRSA, including: (1) access to care, (2) population demographics, (3) 
staffing, (4) consortium/network, (5) sustainability, and (6) project 
specific domains. All measures will evaluate HRSA's progress toward 
achieving its goals.
    The proposed changes include additional components under questions 
surrounding the network's benefits and funding strategies, as well as 
the types of participant organizations. Questions surrounding Health 
Information Technology and Telehealth have been modified to reflect an 
updated telehealth definition based on renewed knowledge on the use of 
both Health Information Technology and Telehealth, and to improve 
understanding of how these important technologies are affecting HRSA 
award recipients. The Demographics and Services section now includes a 
question requesting grantees to identify which counties they have 
served during the project. Finally, revised National Quality Forum and 
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services measures were included to 
allow uniform collection efforts throughout the HRSA Federal Office of 
Rural Health Policy.
    The total number of responses has remained at 44 since the previous 
ICR. While the new RHND grant cycle maintained the same number of award 
recipients and number of respondents, in consideration of the new 
cohort of awardees, HRSA has increased the estimated average burden per 
response. The increase in burden is largely due to the amount of time 
it takes to build systems to capture and report data at the start of a 
new project. Larger networks or consortiums with multiple partners and 
programs across different organizations also reported higher burdens 
due to the wait time in between requests.
    Likely Respondents: Respondents will be award recipients of the 
Rural Health Network Development 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.
    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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Performance Improvement and                   44               1              44            48.8         2,147.2
 Measurement System Database....
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    Total.......................              44               1              44            48.8         2,147.2
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Maria G. Button,
Director, Executive Secretariat.
[FR Doc. 2023-26249 Filed 11-28-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4165-15-P