[Federal Register Volume 90, Number 93 (Thursday, May 15, 2025)] [Notices] [Pages 20677-20679] From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] [FR Doc No: 2025-08611] ----------------------------------------------------------------------- DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Health Resources and Services Administration Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection: Public Comment Request; Information Collection Request Title: Telehealth Resource Center Performance Measurement, OMB No. 0915-0361-- Revision AGENCY: Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), Department of Health and Human Services. ACTION: Notice. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- SUMMARY: In compliance with the requirement for opportunity for public comment on proposed data collection projects of the Paperwork Reduction Act [[Page 20678]] of 1995, HRSA announces plans to submit an Information Collection Request (ICR), described below, to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). Prior to submitting the ICR to OMB, HRSA seeks comments from the public regarding the burden estimate, below, or any other aspect of the ICR. DATES: Comments on this ICR should be received no later than July 14, 2025. ADDRESSES: Submit your comments to [email protected] or by mail to the HRSA Information Collection Clearance Officer, Room 14NWH04, 5600 Fishers Lane, Rockville, Maryland 20857. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: To request more information on the proposed project or to obtain a copy of the data collection plans and draft instruments, email [email protected] or call Joella Roland, the HRSA Information Collection Clearance Officer, at (301) 443-3983. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: When submitting comments or requesting information, please include the ICR title for reference. Information Collection Request Title: Telehealth Resource Center Performance Measurement, OMB No. 0915-0361--Revision. Abstract: HRSA requests a revision of its approved information collection for the Telehealth Resource Center (TRC) Performance Measurement Tool and renewal of the previously approved performance measures. TRCs deliver telehealth technical assistance under cooperative agreements awarded by HRSA's Office for the Advancement of Telehealth, as authorized by section 330I(d)(2) of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 254c-14(d)(2)). There are two types of HRSA TRC programs:Two National TRC Programs (NTRC) focus on policy and technology. Twelve Regional TRC Programs (RTRC) host activities and provide resources to rural and underserved areas. The HRSA TRCs: Provide training and support, Publicize information and research findings, Support collaboration and partnerships, Promote effective partnerships, and Promote the use of telehealth by providing health care information and education to the public and medical specialists. The TRCs share expertise through individual consults, training, webinars, conference presentations, and the web. HRSA collects information from the TRCs using the TRC Performance Measurement Tool. HRSA seeks to revise its approved information collection because the electronic system for submitting information to HRSA has changed from the Performance Improvement Management System to Data Collection Platform as a Service (DCP). Although the electronic system has changed, the information to be collected using the TRC Performance Measurement has not changed, and HRSA's burden estimate remains the same. Need and Proposed Use of the Information: In order to evaluate existing programs, recipients of the NTRC and RTRC cooperative agreements submit data to HRSA through HRSA's DCP. The data are used to measure the effectiveness of the technical assistance. There is one data reporting period each year; during these reporting periods, data are reported for the previous 12 months of activity. TRCs have approximately 6 weeks to enter their data into the DCP system during each annual reporting period. The instrument was developed with the following four goals in mind: Improving access to needed services, Reducing rural and underserved population practitioner isolation, Improving health system productivity and efficiency, and Improving patient outcomes. The TRCs currently report on existing performance data elements using the TRC Performance Measurement Tool. The performance measures are designed to assess how the TRC program is meeting its goals to: Expand the availability of telehealth services in underserved communities; Improve the quality, efficiency, and effectiveness of telehealth services; Promote knowledge exchange and dissemination about efficient and effective telehealth practices and technology; and Establish sustainable technical assistance centers providing quality, unbiased technical assistance for the development and expansion of effective and efficient telehealth services in underserved communities. Additionally, the TRC Performance Measurement Tool allows HRSA to: Determine the value added from the TRC cooperative agreements; Justify budget requests; Collect uniform, consistent data which enables HRSA to monitor programs; Provide guidance to grantees on important indicators to track overtime for their own internal program management; Measure performance relative to the mission of HRSA as well as individual goals and objectives of the program; Identify topics of interest for future special studies; and Identify changes in healthcare needs within rural and underserved communities, allowing programs to shift focus to meet those needs. Likely Respondents: The likely respondents will be telehealth associations, telehealth providers, rural and underserved health providers, clinicians that deliver services via telehealth, technical assistance providers, research organizations, and academic medical centers that receive NTRC or RTRC cooperative agreements. 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 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Average Number of Number of Total burden per Total Form name respondents responses per responses response burden respondent (in hours) hours ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- TRC Performance Measurement.................. 14 42 588 0.07 41 ------------------------------------------------------------------ Total.................................... 14 ............... 588 ........... 41 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [[Page 20679]] 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. 2025-08611 Filed 5-14-25; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4165-15-P