[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 18 (Monday, January 28, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 5805-5807]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-01342]
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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: ``Evaluating the Knowledge and Educational Needs of Students
of Health Professions on Patient-Centered Outcomes Research.'' In
accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act, 44 U.S.C. 3501-3521, AHRQ
invites the public to comment on this proposed information collection.
DATES: Comments on this notice must be received by March 29, 2013.
ADDRESSES: Written comments should be submitted to: Doris Lefkowitz,
Reports Clearance Officer, AHRQ, by email at
doris.lefkowitz@AHRQ.hhs.gov.
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
doris.lefkowitz@AHRQ.hhs.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Proposed Project
Evaluating the Knowledge and Educational Needs of Students of Health
Professions on Patient-Centered Outcomes Research
AHRQ's Effective Health Care Program, which was authorized by
Section 1013 of the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement and
Modernization Act of 2003, 42 U.S.C. 299b-7, is the Federal
Government's first program to conduct patient-centered outcomes
research (PCOR) and share the findings with the public. PCOR is
research that assesses the benefits and harms of preventive,
diagnostic, therapeutic, palliative or health delivery system
interventions. This research helps clinicians, patients and other
caregivers make decisions about health care choices by highlighting
comparisons and outcomes that matter to people, such as survival,
function, symptoms, and health related quality of life. The Program
funds individual researchers, research centers, and academic
organizations to work together with the Agency to produce effectiveness
and comparative effectiveness research.
The Effective Health Care Program also translates research findings
into a variety of products for diverse stakeholders. These products
include summary guides for clinicians, patients/consumers, and policy-
makers, continuing education modules and faculty slide sets for
clinicians, patient decision aids, and audio and video podcasts.
Most of the PCOR materials and translation products that are
currently available are designed to help practicing clinicians,
consumers/patients, and policymakers in making important decisions
about health care. AHRQ recognizes the importance of insuring that
clinicians in training are also exposed to PCOR and that they fully
understand their role and value in shared clinical decision making.
AHRQ and the Effective Health Care Program have started developing some
tools, such as faculty slide sets based on comparative effectiveness
reviews of the literature, to reach this audience through traditional
clinical curricula. However, exposure to PCOR may occur and even be
more effective in more non-traditional extracurricular settings, such
as special interest projects created and sponsored by student groups or
even Web-based events involving social media.
This evaluation study addresses AHRQ's need for a report to inform
strategic planning for dissemination and educational activities
targeted to clinicians in training. The evaluation is intended to
assess students' and faculties' needs and preferences for integrating
PCOR into the health professions' curricula, learning environment, and
other training opportunities through a series of structured interviews
with selected faculty members and an online survey directed at students
in the health professions. The outcome will be a roadmap, which will
include a set of recommendations for strategies and tools for
educational and dissemination activities, along with a suggested
approach and timeline for implementation of the recommendations. The
recommendations will inform AHRQ's strategic plan for future efforts
which will engage and develop information and materials for the health
professions student audience.
The goals of this project are to:
(1) Understand the extent to which PCOR is currently integrated
into the curriculum and how it is disseminated to students in the
health professions.
(2) Understand health professions students' attitudes toward and
knowledge of PCOR.
(3) Explore differences in health professions student experiences
with PCOR by health profession.
(4) Identify informational and training needs and preferences of
health professions students in primary care-oriented training programs.
This study is being conducted by AHRQ through its contractor, James
Bell Associates, pursuant to (1) 42 U.S.C. 299b-7, (2) AHRQ's 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), and (3) AHRQ's authority to
support the synthesis and dissemination of available scientific
evidence for use by patients, consumers, practitioners, providers,
purchasers, policy makers, and educators, 42 U.S.C. 299(b)(2).
Method of Collection
To achieve these goals the following data collections will be
implemented:
(1) Student Survey. The purpose of the survey is to assess health
professions students' attitudes toward and knowledge of PCOR, the
extent to which they value PCOR, what they would like to know, and how
they would prefer to receive this information now and as they move into
clinical practice.
(2) Faculty Interview. The faculty interview will focus on gaining
an understanding of where PCOR fits into the current curriculum for
each health professions field; how both the philosophy and substantive
findings of PCOR information are disseminated to instructors and
subsequently to students; and perceived gaps and suggested strategies
for filling these gaps.
Data will be gathered through structured interviews of faculty in
health professions programs and a broad web-based survey of a cross-
section of health professions students. The outcome from the project
will be used immediately and directly by AHRQ's Office of
Communications and Knowledge Transfer (OCKT) staff to guide strategic
planning for addressing the educational needs of health professions
students. Subsequent activities may include, but are not limited to,
modifying specific information about PCOR and developing novel
approaches to providing information on PCOR as determined by the
student survey responses. This information will also help guide the
determination of the AHRQ OCKT resource needs.
Estimated Annual Respondent Burden
Exhibit 1 shows the estimated annualized burden hours for the
respondents' time to participate in this research. Faculty interviews
will be conducted with 24 faculty members and
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will last about one hour. The student survey will include 1,800
students and takes 10 minutes to complete. The total burden is
estimated to be 324 hours annually.
Exhibit 2 shows the estimated annualized cost burden associated
with the respondents' time to participate in this research. The total
cost burden is estimated to be $4,790 annually.
Exhibit 1--Estimated Annualized Burden Hours
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Number of
Form name Number of responses per Hours per Total
respondents respondent response
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Faculty Interview............................... 24 1 1 24
Student Survey.................................. 1,800 1 10/60 300
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Total....................................... 1,824 Na Na 324
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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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Faculty Interview............................... 24 24 $47.70 $1,145
Student Survey.................................. 1,800 300 12.15 3,645
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Total....................................... 1,824 324 Na 4,790
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* Based on the mean wages for Health Specialties Teachers, Postsecondary (25-1071; 47.70/hour) and Teacher
Assistants (25-9041; $12.15/hour. Many of the students will be teaching and research assistants, making this
the best occupational code for them), National Compensation Survey: Occupational wages in the United States
May 2011, ``U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics.'' http://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes_nat.htm#25-0000.
Estimated Annual Costs to the Federal Government
Exhibit 3 shows the total and annualized cost to the Federal
Government for conducting this research. The total cost to the Federal
Government is $683,335. The total annualized cost is estimated to be
approximately $341,667. The total annual costs include the
questionnaire development, administration, analysis, and study
management.
Exhibit 3--Estimated Total and Annualized Cost
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Annualized
Cost component Total cost cost
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Project Development..................... $144,707 $72,353
Data Collection Activities.............. 283,667 141,833
Data Processing and Analysis............ 135,523 67,762
Publication of Results.................. 9,012 4,506
Project Management...................... 65,722 32,861
Overhead................................ 44,704 22,352
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Total............................... 683,335 341,667
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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 health care research and
health care 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 16, 2013.
Carolyn M. Clancy,
Director.
[FR Doc. 2013-01342 Filed 1-25-13; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4160-90-M