[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 183 (Friday, September 20, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 77158-77159]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-21573]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

[60Day-24-0234; Docket No. CDC-2024-0068]


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 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 
the project is to assess the health of the population through patient 
use of physician and advanced practice provider offices, health centers 
(HCs), and to monitor the characteristics of physician and advanced 
practice provider practices.

DATES: CDC must receive written comments on or before November 19, 
2024.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments, identified by Docket No. CDC-2024-
0068 by either of the following methods:
     Federal eRulemaking Portal: www.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 www.regulations.gov.
    Please note: Submit all comments through the Federal eRulemaking 
portal (www.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; Telephone: 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. 11/30/2025)--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 Electronic Health Records Survey (NEHRS) (OMB Control No. 
0920-1015, Exp. Date 01/31/2027), the National Hospital Care Survey 
(NHCS) (OMB Control No. 0920-0212, Exp. Date 12/31/2024), and National 
Post-acute and Long-term Care Study (OMB Control No. 0920-0943, Exp. 
Date 09/30/2025).
    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) the 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) the 
introduction of new medical technologies; and (5) the 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 over 30 million

[[Page 77159]]

individuals throughout the United States.
    This revision seeks approval to conduct changes to all three 
components of NAMCS. CDC plans to adjust the HC Component and Provider 
Survey Component sample sizes. In 2025 the goal is to sample 10,000 
advanced practice providers and up to 151 HCs. In 2026 we plan to 
sample up to 10,000 physicians and up to 171 HCs if funds allow. If 
funds allow, in 2027 we will sample up to 10,000 advanced practice 
providers and up to 191 HCs. For 2025-2027, there will be an additional 
3,000 providers sampled yearly for the Provider Electronic Component. 
Questions on the Provider Facility Interview, Health Center Facility 
Interview, and the Ambulatory Care Provider Interview will also be 
modified.
    CDC requests OMB approval for an estimated 22,107 annual burden 
hours. There is no cost to respondents other than their time to 
participate.

                                        Estimated Annualized Burden Hours
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                                                                                         Avg. burden
                                                             Number of      Number of        per         Total
        Type of respondents                Form name        respondents   responses per    response   burden (in
                                                                           respondent     (in hrs.)      hrs.)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
HC's Staff.........................  HC Facility Interview           84               1        45/60          63
                                      Questionnaire
                                      (Survey year: 2024).
                                     Prepare and transmit            50               4        60/60         200
                                      EHR for Visit Data
                                      (quarterly) (Survey
                                      year: 2024).
                                     Set-up Fee                      17               1        15/60           4
                                      Questionnaire
                                      (Survey year: 2024).
Provider or Staff..................  ACPI (Survey year:           3,333               1        30/60       1,667
                                      2026).
                                     Contact Tracing              3,333               1        10/60         556
                                      (Survey year: 2026).
Advanced Practice Provider or Staff  ACPI (Survey year:           6,667               1        30/60       3,334
                                      2025 & 2027).
                                     Contact Tracing              6,667               1        10/60       1,111
                                      (Survey year: 2025 &
                                      2027).
Ambulatory Care Provider's or        PFI (Survey year:            3,000               1        45/60       2,250
 Group's or Conglomerate's Staff.     2025-2027).                 3,000               4        60/60      12,000
                                     Prepare and transmit
                                      Electronic Visit
                                      Data (quarterly)
                                      (Survey year: 2025-
                                      2027).
HC's Staff.........................  HC Facility Interview          221               1        45/60         166
                                      Questionnaire
                                      (Survey year: 2025-
                                      2027).
                                     Prepare and transmit           188               4        60/60         752
                                      EHR for Visit Data
                                      (quarterly) (Survey
                                      year: 2025-2027).
                                     Set-up Fee                      17               1        15/60           4
                                      Questionnaire
                                      (Survey year: 2025-
                                      2027).
                                                           -----------------------------------------------------
    Total..........................  .....................  ...........  ..............  ...........      22,107
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Jeffrey M. Zirger,
Lead, Information Collection Review Office, Office of Public Health 
Ethics and Regulations, Office of Science, Centers for Disease Control 
and Prevention.
[FR Doc. 2024-21573 Filed 9-19-24; 8:45 am]
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