[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 144 (Wednesday, July 27, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 44927-44929]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-18789]
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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: ``Pre-test of an Assisted Living Consensus Instrument.'' In
accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act, 44 U.S.C. 3501-3521, AHRQ
invites the public to comment on this proposed information collection.
This proposed information collection was previously published in
the Federal Register on May 11, 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 August 26, 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 [email protected] (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
[email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Proposed Project
Pre-Test of an Assisted Living Consensus Instrument
Using a consensus-based process and in partnership with the Center
for Excellence in Assisted Living (CEAL), AHRQ has developed a data
collection tool that will collect uniform information about individual
assisted living facilities (ALFs) in the United States to increase the
value of healthcare for consumers by helping them make informed choices
when selecting an ALF. Included in the development process were a
voluntary committee of national representatives of Assisted Living
Facilities, consumers, and researchers.
Assisted living (AL) is a relatively new long-term care option that
currently serves approximately one million older and dependent
Americans. Unlike skilled nursing facilities which are federally
regulated and relatively uniform from state to state, ALFs vary from
state to state, as well as within each state, reflecting various core
values that embrace consumer choice and provider diversity.
Most states mandate a set of basic services that an ALF must offer,
such as meals and housekeeping. The upper limits of allowable services
are also often prescribed. However, within the range of services
required and allowed, ALFs in most states are given some latitude as to
who they choose to serve and what services they choose to provide.
Further, the choice of services is not always confined by geography;
that is, given the widespread dispersion of families, potential AL
residents may be looking to choose among assisted living properties in
different states, thereby widening the choices available.
While some ALFs are equipped to serve a wide range of resident
needs, it is more common that an assisted living property will address
a particular ``market niche.'' There are many ways in which ALFs offer
diversity -- in the religious or cultural affiliations of its target
market; in the house rules that influence expectations about dress and
behavior in the dining room; in the admission and discharge criteria in
place; as well as in the range of services provided. Major variation is
found in the extent to which a particular ALF is able and willing to
serve those with dementia. While most ALFs admit and retain residents
with mild cognitive impairment, those without a specialized dementia
program may have difficulty serving residents with common symptoms such
as a lack of safety awareness, wandering, sleep disturbances and
agitation.
To some extent, admission and discharge criteria are dictated by
the laws and regulations of the state in which a particular ALP
operates. Beyond this, ALFs have considerable latitude in assessing
individuals whom they will admit and retain in their facilities.
In addition to the assessment of needed services in relation to the
services that are available, the ability to pay for AL services is a
critical factor for both the consumer and ALF decision-making about
whether and when an individual moves into and out of a particular ALF.
Approximately ten
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percent of AL residents receive subsidies through State Medicaid Waiver
or State Plan programs, and fewer than three percent are covered by
long-term care insurance. Thus, a substantial percentage of AL
consumers use savings and other assets, including proceeds from the
sale of their homes, to pay for their stay in an ALF. In choosing an
ALF, consumers need to consider whether a particular facility is able
to accept Medicaid or other third party payments, both now and in the
future, should their assets become depleted.
This research has the following goals:
(1) Refine the data collection tool through pre-testing with a
sample of ALFs; and
(2) Make the data collection tool publically available through the
AHRQ website.
This study is being conducted by AHRQ through its contractor, Abt
Associates Inc., pursuant to AHRQ's statutory authority to conduct and
support research on healthcare and on systems for the delivery of such
care, including activities with respect to the quality, effectiveness,
efficiency, appropriateness, and value of healthcare services. 42
U.S.C. 299a(a)(1).
Method of Collection
To achieve the goals of this project the following data collection
will be undertaken:
(1) Telephone verification. The purpose of the telephone
verification is to ensure that the most current mailing address of each
ALF is utilized for the survey pre-test, and to obtain the name of the
Administrator or Executive Director of the ALF so the mailed pre-test
survey can be addressed directly to that person; and
(2) Pre-test of the Assisted Living Provider Information Tool for
Consumer Education. The data collection will include information on
several topics of interest to consumers including services available in
ALFs and costs of those services, criteria for moving into and out of
an ALF, resident's rights, house rules, life safety features, staffing
within the ALF, and the availability of dementia care services within
the ALF. The purpose of the pre-test is to assess the utility of the
data collection tool as well as the feasibility for its implementation.
The data that will be collected through this effort will be used to
make final refinements to the Assisted Living Provider Information Tool
for Consumer Education and to make adjustments to the recommended
processes for implementing a similar data collection effort on a
broader basis.
Estimated Annual Respondent Burden
Exhibit 1 shows the estimated annualized burden for the
respondents' time to participate in this project. The telephone
verification will be completed by 285 AL providers and will take
approximately one minute to complete. The pre-test of the Assisted
Living Provider Information Tool for Consumer Education will be
completed by 191 ALFs and will require approximately 25 minutes to
complete. The total annual burden is estimated to be 85 hours.
Exhibit 2 shows the estimated annualized cost burden associated
with the respondents' time to participate in this project. The total
annualized cost burden is estimated to be $3,576.
Exhibit 1--Estimated Annualized Burden Hours
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Number of
Form name Number of responses per Hours per Total burden
respondents respondent response hours
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Telephone verification.......................... 285 1 1/60 5
Pre-test........................................ 191 1 25/60 80
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Total....................................... 476 na na 85
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Exhibit 2--Estimated Annualized Cost Burden
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Average
Form name Number of Total burden hourly wage Total cost
respondents hours rate * burden
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Telephone verification.......................... 285 5 $15.37 $77
Pre-test........................................ 191 80 43.74 3,499
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Total....................................... 476 85 na 3,576
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* Based upon the mean of the average wages reflected in the National Compensation Survey (May 2009), US.
Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics. Wage categories used: Phone verification--office and
administrative support workers; pre-test--medical and health services managers in the United States.
Estimated Annual Costs to the Federal Government
The total cost of this contract to the government is $424,000. The
project extends over four years, but this request is for a one-year OMB
clearance. Exhibit 3 shows a breakdown of the total cost as well as the
annualized cost.
Exhibit 3--Estimated Total and Annualized Cost
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Annualized
Cost component Total cost cost
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Project Development..................... $125,000 $31,250
Data Collection Activities.............. 90,000 22,500
Data Processing and Analysis............ 30,000 7,500
Reporting of results.................... 30,000 7,500
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Project Management...................... 164,552 41,138
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Total Costs......................... 439,552 109,888
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Request for Comments
In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act, 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: July 13, 2011.
Carolyn M. Clancy,
Director.
[FR Doc. 2011-18789 Filed 7-26-11; 8:45 am]
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