[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 119 (Wednesday, June 20, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 37047-37049]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-14980]
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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 of AHRQ-Funded HAI Projects.'' 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
[[Page 37048]]
Register on April 6th, 2012 and allowed 60 days for public comment. No
substantive 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 July 20, 2012.
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
email 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 email at
[email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Proposed Project
Synthesis of AHRQ-Funded HAI Projects
The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) requests that
the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) approve, under the Paperwork
Reduction Act of 1995, AHRQ's collection of information for the
Synthesis of AHRQ-Funded HAI Projects.
For approximately a decade, AHRQ has conducted research on
preventing healthcare-associated infections (HAIs), both internally and
through contracts and grants. AHRQ's grant- and contract-supported
projects have been directed at the major types of HAIs: central-line-
associated bloodstream infections (CLABSI), catheter-associated urinary
tract infections (CAUTI), surgical site infections (SSI), ventilator-
associated pneumonia (VAP), methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus
(MRSA), and Clostridium difficile (C. diff.). Projects have addressed
the problem of HAIs in diverse healthcare settings, including
hospitals, ambulatory settings (ambulatory surgery centers, end-stage
renal disease facilities, and outpatient clinics and offices), and
long-term care facilities. AHRQ's portfolio of HAI projects has
emphasized a combination of research and implementation initiatives. In
the latter category, a major focus of AHRQ's efforts has been to deploy
tools that can improve provider performance and reduce HAIs. Based on
the earlier success of the Michigan Keystone project, AHRQ has funded
projects to implement the Comprehensive Unit-based Safety Program
(CUSP) to address CLABSI and CAUTI nationwide. Data are now emerging
that demonstrate the success of CUSP in reducing CLABSI in hospitals
across the nation.
Between 2007 and 2010, AHRQ funded 40 contracts and 18 grants
focusing on expanding the HAI knowledge base and implementing HAI
prevention strategies. Today it is necessary to look across these
projects in order to (1) identify, document, and synthesize their
findings and results to ensure that AHRQ, healthcare professionals, and
the public can make best use of these findings and (2) identify
remaining gaps in the HAI science base to enable AHRQ to fund future
studies that will address these needs. The synthesis will draw on
several data sources, including interviews with project leaders. In
addition to learning about studies that have not published peer-
reviewed manuscripts, the interviews will enable the project team to
delve into project details that are not typically available in
publications, such as the project leader's motivation for responding to
the request for proposal, challenges faced in implementing the project,
changes in the project's delivery schedule or work plan, experts' views
on how HAI prevention evidence generated by a specific project fits
into the HAI research agenda more broadly, and remaining gaps in the
HAI knowledge base.
AHRQ has contracted with IMPAQ International, LLC, to develop this
synthesis, identify gaps, and promote the widespread application of
successful HAI prevention approaches. This research has the following
goals: (1) Identify and document findings and synthesize results of
AHRQ-funded HAI projects; (2) Disseminate key findings from the HAI
projects; and (3) Identify remaining gaps in the HAI knowledge base.
This study is being conducted by AHRQ through its contractor, IMPAQ
International, LLC and its subcontractor, the RAND Corporation,
pursuant to AHRQ's statutory authority to conduct and support research
and disseminate information 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 and with respect to quality measurement and
improvement. 42 U.S.C. 299a(a)(1) and (2).
Method of Collection
To achieve the goals of this project the following data collection
will be implemented:
(1) Interviews with contractors--Interviews will be conducted with
the project leaders (project directors or project managers) from 40 HAI
contractors. The purpose of these interviews is to identify (a) key
findings, (b) gaps in knowledge base, (c) lessons learned, (d)
effective approaches for preventing and reducing HAIs, and (e)
opportunities for additional projects focused on generating and
implementing knowledge on preventing HAIs.
(2) Interviews with grantees--Interviews will be conducted with the
project leaders (principal investigators) from 18 HAI grantees. Similar
to the interviews with contractors, the purpose of these interviews is
to identify (a) key findings, (b) gaps in knowledge base, (c) lessons
learned, (d) effective approaches for preventing and reducing HAIs, and
(e) opportunities for additional projects focused on generating and
implementing knowledge on preventing HAIs. While the goals of the
interviews with contractors and grantees are similar, the two audiences
require separate interview protocols because their funding mechanisms
and project structures differ. For example, contracts have more
structured deliverable schedules than do grants and grants are more
likely than contracts to be on investigator-initiated topics.
AHRQ will interview key project leaders to learn about the
processes and methods used, results achieved, and lessons learned under
the AHRQ-funded HAI contracts and grants. This information will enable
AHRQ to identify effective approaches for preventing and reducing HAIs
and for promoting the widespread application of these approaches.
Finally, collecting data from these audiences will allow AHRQ to detect
gaps in the HAI science base and identify opportunities for additional
projects focused on generating and implementing knowledge on preventing
HAIs.
Estimated Annual Respondent Burden
Exhibit 1 shows the estimated annualized burden hours for the
respondent's time to participate in this evaluation. Interviews will be
conducted with 40 contractors and 18 grantees and each will last about
90 minutes. The total burden hours are estimated to be 87.
[[Page 37049]]
Exhibit 1--Estimated Annualized Burden Hours
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Number of
Data collection activity Number of responses per Hours per Total burden
respondents respondent response hours
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Interviews with contractors..................... 40 1 1.5 60
Interviews with grantees........................ 18 1 1.5 27
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Total....................................... 58 \1\ \1\ 87
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\1\ Not applicable.
The respondents are the project leaders, that is, project directors
for the contracts and principal investigators for the grants. Based on
the type of grant and the project leaders' qualifications, the project
leaders were categorized into three labor categories: Social Scientists
and Related Workers; Epidemiologists; and Medical Scientists. For
example, one project director conducting a randomized controlled trial
is a physician and was categorized into the Medical Scientist labor
category. Other project leaders have advanced degrees in the social
sciences (e.g., gerontology) or epidemiology and were included in the
Social Scientist or Epidemiologist labor categories, as appropriate.
Exhibit 2 shows the estimated annualized cost burden associated
with the respondent's time to participate in the evaluation. The total
cost burden is estimated to be $3,450.
Exhibit 2--Estimated Annualized Cost Burden
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Average
Data collection activity Number of Total burden hourly wage Total cost
respondents hours rate \1\ burden
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Interviews with contractors..................... 40 60 $39.66 $2,380
Interviews with grantees........................ 18 27 39.66 1,070
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Total....................................... 58 87 \2\ 3,450
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\1\ Based upon the weighted average of the mean wages for 19-3099 Social Scientists and Related Workers, All
Other ($37.45 per hour; n=17), 19-1041 Epidemiologists ($32.83; n=5) and 19-1042 Medical Scientists ($41.69;
n=36), National Compensation Survey: Occupational Wages in the United States May 2010, U.S. Department of
Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics.
\2\ Not applicable.
Estimated Annual Costs to the Federal Government
Exhibit 3 shows the estimated total and annualized cost to the
government for conducting the evaluation. The total cost is estimated
to be $87,502.
Exhibit 3--Estimated Total and Annualized Cost
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Annualized
Cost component Total cost cost
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Project Development..................... $6,135 $2,045
Data Collection Activities.............. 17,400 5,800
Data Processing and Analysis............ 29,000 9,667
Publication of Results.................. 0 0
Project Management...................... 5,800 1,933
Overhead................................ 29,167 9,722
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Total............................... 87,502 29,167
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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: June 7, 2012.
Carolyn M. Clancy,
Director.
[FR Doc. 2012-14980 Filed 6-19-12; 8:45 am]
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