[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 62 (Thursday, March 31, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 17864-17865]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-7430]
[[Page 17864]]
=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
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.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
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: ``Voluntary Customer Survey Generic Clearance for the Agency
for Healthcare Research and Quality.'' 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 January 25th, 2011 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 May 2, 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
Voluntary Customer Survey Generic Clearance for the Agency for
Healthcare Research and Quality
Executive Order 12862 directs agencies that ``provide significant
services directly to the public'' to ``survey customers to determine
the kind and quality of services they want and their level of
satisfaction with existing services.'' This is a request for the Office
of Management and Budget (OMB) to re-approve for an additional 3 years,
under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the generic clearance for
the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) to survey the
users of AHRQ's work products and services, OMB control number 0935-
0106.
Customer surveys will be undertaken by AHRQ to assess its work
products and services provided to its customers, to identify problem
areas, and to determine how they can be improved. Surveys conducted
under this generic clearance are not required by regulation and will
not be used by AHRQ to regulate or sanction its customers. Surveys will
be entirely voluntary, and information provided by respondents will be
combined and summarized so that no individually identifiable
information will be released. Proposed information collections
submitted under this generic clearance will be reviewed and acted upon
by OMB within 14 days of submission to OMB.
In accordance with OMB guidelines for generic clearances for
voluntary customer surveys and Executive Order 12862, AHRQ: (1) Has
established an independent review process to assure the development,
implementation, and analysis of high quality customer surveys within
AHRQ; (2) will provide periodic progress reports on the conduct of
surveys under the generic approval, summarizing the actual burden; (3)
will provide OMB with copies of the survey instruments for inclusion in
the docket; and, (4) will notify OMB of any significant changes in
proposed survey instruments.
Method of Collection
The information collected through focus groups and voluntary
customer surveys will be used by AHRQ to identify strengths and
weaknesses in products and services to make improvements that are
practical and feasible. Information from these customer surveys will be
used to plan and redirect resources and efforts to improve or maintain
a high quality of service to the lay and health professional public.
Estimated Annual Respondent Burden
Exhibit 1 shows the estimated total burden hours for the
respondents. Mail surveys are estimated to average 15 minutes,
telephone surveys 40 minutes, web-based surveys 10 minutes, focus
groups two hours, and in-person interviews are estimated to average 50
minutes. Mail surveys may also be sent to respondents via email, and
may include a telephone non-response follow-up. Telephone non-response
follow-up for mailed surveys does not count as a telephone survey. The
total burden hours for the 3 years of the clearance is estimated to be
10,150 hours.
Exhibit 2 shows the estimated cost burden for the respondents. The
total cost burden for the 3 years of the clearance is estimated to be
$340,127.
Exhibit 1--Estimated Burden Hours Over 3 Years
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Number of
Type of information collection Number of responses per Hours per Total burden
respondents respondent response hours
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Mail/email*..................................... 15,000 1 15/60 3,750
Telephone....................................... 600 1 40/60 400
Web-based....................................... 15,000 1 10/60 2,500
Focus Groups.................................... 1,500 1 2.0 3,000
In-person....................................... 600 1 50/60 500
---------------------------------------------------------------
Total....................................... 32,700 na na 10,150
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
* May include telephone non-response follow-up in which case the burden will not change.
Exhibit 2--Estimated Cost Burden Over 3 Years
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Number of Total burden Average hourly Total cost
Type of information collection respondents hours wage rate* burden
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Mail/email...................................... 15,000 3,750 $33.51 $125,663
[[Page 17865]]
Telephone....................................... 600 400 33.51 13,404
Web-based....................................... 15,000 2,500 33.51 83,775
Focus Groups.................................... 1,500 3,000 33.51 100,530
In-person....................................... 600 500 33.51 16,755
---------------------------------------------------------------
Total....................................... 32,700 10,150 na 340,127
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
* Based upon the average wages for 29-000 (Healthcare Practitioner and Technical Occupations), ``National
Compensation Survey: Occupational Wages in the United States, May 2009,'' U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of
Labor Statistics.
Estimated Annual Costs to the Federal Government
Information collections conducted under this generic clearance will
in some cases be carried out under contract. Assuming the contract cost
per survey are $50,000-$100,000, and for each focus group are $20,000,
total contract costs could run $720,000 per year.
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: March 17, 2011.
Carolyn M. Clancy,
Director.
[FR Doc. 2011-7430 Filed 3-30-11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4160-90-M