[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 16 (Tuesday, January 25, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 4358-4360]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-1169]
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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: ``Synthesis Reports for Grants and Cooperative Agreements for
Transforming Healthcare Quality through Information Technology
(THQIT).'' In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act, 44 U.S.C.
3501-3520, AHRQ invites the public to comment on this proposed
information collection.
This proposed information collection was previously published in
the Federal Register on November 2, 2010 and allowed 60 days for public
comment. No comments were received. The purpose of this notice is to
allow an additional 30 days for public comment.
DATES: Comments on this notice must be received by February 24, 2011.
ADDRESSES: Written comments should be submitted to: AHRQ's OMB Desk
Officer by fax at (202) 395-6974 (attention: AHRQ's desk officer) or by
e-mail at OIRA_submission@omb.eop.gov (attention: AHRQ's desk
officer).
Copies of the proposed collection plans, data collection
instruments, and specific details on the estimated burden can be
obtained from the AHRQ Reports Clearance Officer.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Doris Lefkowitz, AHRQ Reports
Clearance Officer, (301) 427-1477, or by e-mail at
doris.lefkowitz@AHRQ.hhs.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Proposed Project
Synthesis Reports for Grants and Cooperative Agreements for
Transforming Healthcare Quality Through Information Technology (THQIT)
AHRQ's health information technology initiative is part of the
Nation's strategy to put information technology to work in health care.
By developing secure and private electronic health records and making
health information available electronically when and where it is
needed, health IT can improve the quality of care, even as it makes
health care more cost-effective. This proposed information collection
will help AHRQ enhance the evidence base to support effective
information technology (IT) implementation and add to knowledge about
health IT by synthesizing and drawing lessons from its Transforming
Healthcare Quality through Information Technology (THQIT) program.
From 2004-2010, the THQIT program has supported the adoption of
health IT through 118 grants and cooperative agreements. These grants
fall into three main categories: planning grants, implementation grants
and value demonstration grants. Planning grants are intended to develop
health IT infrastructure and data-sharing capacity among clinical
provider organizations in their communities by (1) Creating
multidisciplinary collaboratives and coalitions of health care
providers, (2) conducting needs assessments and feasibility studies,
and (3) developing plans to implement electronic health records.
Implementation grants support community-wide and regional health IT
systems by (1) Developing shared registries, electronic health record
systems, and telemedicine networks, (2) integrating clinical data from
a variety of health IT systems, including pharmacy, laboratory, and
public health organizations, (3) redesigning clinical workflow to
improve patient care and provider access to information and (4)
creating novel methods for delivering information to providers. Value
demonstration grants evaluate how the adoption of health IT will (1)
Impact quality, safety, and resource use in large, integrated delivery
systems, (2) advance the effectiveness of Web-based, patient education
tools and (3) improve patient transitions between health care
facilities and their homes. The program places an emphasis on grants to
rural health organizations.
AHRQ does not currently have a system in place for assessing the
overall outcomes and lessons learned from these health IT grants. This
project seeks to create such a system and has the following goals:
(1) Further the state of knowledge of health IT planning,
implementation, and effects by synthesizing the experiences of THQIT
grantees and the reported effects of the grants;
(2) Translate this knowledge into a practical tool to assist rural
hospitals with electronic health record implementations; and
(3) Translate this knowledge into recommendations for AHRQ
activities.
This study is being conducted by AHRQ through its contractor,
Mathematica Policy Research, Inc. (Mathematica), pursuant to AHRQ's
statutory authority to conduct and support research (1) on healthcare
and on systems for the delivery of such care, 42 U.S.C. 299a, and (2)
on information systems for health care improvement. 42 U.S.C. 299b-3.
Method of Collection
To achieve the goals of this project the following data collections
will be implemented:
(1) Planning Grant Survey for all grantees that received a planning
grant;
(2) Implementation Grant Survey for all grantees that received an
implementation grant;
(3) Value Grant Survey for all grantees that received a value
grant; and
(4) In-Depth Interviews will be conducted via telephone with a
sample of grantees from each of the three types of grants. Given the
complex nature of many of the projects conducted under these grants,
from each selected grantee organization 1 to 3 persons with different
areas of expertise will participate in the interview with the
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most knowledgeable person responding to a given question. Questions
vary by grant type.
These proposed data collections will gather information from
grantee principal investigators on topics including: (1) Partnerships,
which were required of all the grantees--what types are most effective
and long-lasting and how partnerships can be made more effective; (2)
planning for health IT--information that can help identify successful
pathways; (3) implementation of health IT--including common and unique
barriers and facilitators to implementation across types of health IT
and care settings; (4) the outcomes, benefits, and drawbacks of the
grant projects; and (5) the sustainability and expansion of implemented
health IT.
Collecting this information will assist AHRQ in its mission of
supporting the synthesis and dissemination of available evidence for
the planning, implementation, and use of health IT by patients,
practitioners, providers, purchasers, policymakers, and educators.
The proposed data collection is also designed to assist AHRQ in
improving the effectiveness with which it supports future research,
synthesis, and initiatives on health IT topics. The grantees'
experiences with the THQIT grant process and features is an important
topic covered including feedback on whether the funding and time period
were sufficient, how effective the grant was in furthering health IT in
grantee organizations, and whether planning grants are a useful
mechanism to prepare health care organizations and researchers to
participate in future large-scale research.
This research also supports AHRQ's mission, 42 U.S.C. 299(c), to
specifically focus on rural populations and priority populations by
collecting information on special factors affecting rural health care
grantees, and the outcomes of the grant projects for AHRQ priority
populations.
Estimated Annual Respondent Burden
Exhibit 1 shows the estimated annualized burden hours associated
with the respondents' time to participate in this research. The Value
Grant Survey will be completed by the 24 grantees that received a value
grant and takes 30 minutes to complete. The Planning Grant Survey will
be completed by all 38 recipients of a planning grant and requires 30
minutes to complete. The Implementation Grant Survey will be completed
by the 56 grantees that received an implementation grant and takes 45
minutes to complete. In-depth interviews will be conducted with 1 to 3
persons (2 on average) from each of 30 different grantee organizations
and is estimated to average 1.8 hours; actual burden will vary since
some sections apply to specific grant types. The total annualized
burden is estimated to be 181 hours.
Exhibit 2 shows the estimated annualized cost burden associated
with the respondents' time to participate in this research. The total
annualized cost burden is estimated to be $7,917.
Exhibit 1--Estimated Annualized Burden Hours
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Number of
Form name Number of response per Hours per Total burden
respondents respondent response hours
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Value Grant Survey.............................. 24 1 30/60 12
Planning Grant Survey........................... 38 1 30/60 19
Implementation Grant Survey..................... 56 1 45/60 42
In-Depth Interviews............................. 30 2 1.8 108
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Total....................................... 148 n/a n/a 181
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Exhibit 2--Estimated Annualized Cost Burden
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Number of Total burden Average hourly Total Cost
Form name respondents hours wage rate* burden
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Value Grant Survey.............................. 24 12 43.74 $525
Planning Grant Survey........................... 38 19 43.74 831
Implementation Grant Survey..................... 56 42 43.74 1,837
In-Depth Interviews............................. 30 108 43.74 4,724
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Total....................................... 148 181 na 7,917
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*Based upon the mean of the average wages for medical and health services managers, Department of Labor, Bureau
of Labor Statistics, Occupational and Employment Wages. May 2009. Accessed at: http://www.bls.gov/news.release/pdf/ocwage.pdf.
Estimated Annual Costs to the Federal Government
Exhibit 3 shows the estimated total and annualized cost for this
project. Although data collection activities will last for one year,
the entire project will span 2.25 years; therefore, the annualized
costs cover two and a quarter years. The total project cost is
estimated to be $600,055.
Exhibit 3--Estimated Total and Annualized Cost
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Annualized
Cost component Total cost cost
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Project Development........................... $80,584 $35,815
Data Collection Activities.................... 72,198 32,088
Data Processing and Analysis.................. 52,389 23,284
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Publication of Results........................ 149,476 66,434
Project Management............................ 70,313 31,250
Overhead...................................... 175,095 77,820
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Total..................................... 600,055 266,691
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Request for Comments
In accordance with the above-cited Paperwork Reduction Act
legislation, 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 healthcare research and healthcare 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: January 3, 2011.
Carolyn M. Clancy,
Director.
[FR Doc. 2011-1169 Filed 1-24-11; 8:45 am]
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