2020-01383. Proposed Data Collection Submitted for Public Comment and Recommendations  

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    AGENCY:

    Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

    ACTION:

    Notice with comment period.

    SUMMARY:

    The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), as part of its continuing effort to reduce public burden and maximize the utility of government information, invites the general public and other Federal agencies the opportunity to comment on a proposed and/or continuing information collection, as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995. This notice invites comment on a proposed information collection project titled the National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey (NHAMCS). NHAMCS collects facility and visit information on ambulatory care services utilization in non-Federal, short stay hospitals in the United States.

    DATES:

    CDC must receive written comments on or before March 30, 2020.

    ADDRESSES:

    You may submit comments, identified by Docket No. CDC-2020-0004 by any of the following methods:

    • Federal eRulemaking Portal: Regulations.gov. Follow the instructions for submitting comments.
    • Mail: Jeffrey M. Zirger, Information Collection Review Office, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1600 Clifton Road NE, MS-D74, Atlanta, Georgia 30329.

    Instructions: All submissions received must include the agency name and Docket Number. CDC will post, without change, all relevant comments to Regulations.gov.

    Please note: Submit all comments through the Federal eRulemaking portal ( regulations.gov ) or by U.S. mail to the address listed above.

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    FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

    To request more information on the proposed project or to obtain a copy of the information collection plan and instruments, contact Jeffrey M. Zirger, Information Collection Review Office, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1600 Clifton Road NE, MS-D74, Atlanta, Georgia 30329; phone: 404-639-7570; Email: omb@cdc.gov.

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    SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

    Under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA) (44 U.S.C. 3501-3520), Federal agencies must obtain approval from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for each collection of information they conduct or sponsor. In addition, the PRA also requires Federal agencies to provide a 60-day notice in the Federal Register concerning each proposed collection of information, including each new proposed collection, each proposed extension of existing collection of information, and each reinstatement of previously approved information collection before submitting the collection to the OMB for approval. To comply with this requirement, we are publishing this notice of a proposed data collection as described below.

    The OMB is particularly interested in comments that will help:

    1. Evaluate whether the proposed collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the agency, including whether the information will have practical utility;

    2. Evaluate the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden of the proposed collection of information, including the validity of the methodology and assumptions used;

    3. Enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and

    4. Minimize the burden of the collection of information on those who are to respond, including through the use of appropriate automated, electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection techniques or other forms of information technology, e.g., permitting electronic submissions of responses.

    5. Assess information collection costs.

    Proposed Project

    National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey (NHAMCS) (OMB Control No. 0920-0278, Exp. 06/30/2021)—Revision—National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

    Background and Brief Description

    Section 306 of the Public Health Service (PHS) Act (42 U.S.C. 242k), as amended, authorizes that the Secretary of Health and Human Services (DHHS), acting through NCHS, shall collect statistics on “utilization of health care” in the United States. The National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey (NHAMCS) has been conducted annually since 1992. NCHS is seeking OMB approval to extend this survey for an additional three years.

    The target universe of the NHAMCS is in-person visits made to emergency departments (EDs) of non-Federal, short-stay hospitals (hospitals with an average length of stay of less than 30 days) that have at least 6 beds for inpatient use, and with a specialty of general (medical or surgical) or children's general.

    NHAMCS was initiated to complement the National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey (NAMCS, OMB No. 0920-0234, Exp. Date 05/31/2022), which provides similar data concerning patient visits to physicians' offices. NAMCS and NHAMCS are the principal sources of data on ambulatory care provided in the United States. NHAMCS provides a range of baseline data on the characteristics of the users and providers of hospital ambulatory medical care. Data collected include patients' demographic characteristics, reason(s) for visit, providers' diagnoses, diagnostic services, medications, and disposition. These data, together with trend data, may be used to monitor the effects of change in the health care system, for the planning of health services, improving medical education, determining health care work force needs, and assessing the health status of the population.

    Starting 2018, NHAMCS was modified to assess only hospital emergency departments. The survey components that assessed hospital outpatient departments and ambulatory surgery locations were discontinued. No substantive changes or supplements are expected for the survey for the three years being requested.

    Users of NHAMCS data include, but are not limited to, congressional offices, Federal agencies, state and local governments, schools of public health, colleges and universities, private industry, nonprofit foundations, professional associations, clinicians, researchers, administrators, and health planners. There are no costs to the respondents other than their time. The total estimated annualized burden hours are 1,124.Start Printed Page 4991

    Estimated Annualized Burden Hours

    Type of respondentsForm nameNumber of respondentsNumber of responses per respondentAverage burden per response (in hours)Total burden (in hours)
    Hospital Chief Executive OfficerHospital Induction Data Collection410130/60205
    Ancillary Service ExecutiveAmbulatory Unit Induction (ED only)820115/60205
    Medical Record ClerkRetrieving Patient Records (ED only)4101001/60683
    Ancillary Service Executive—ReinterviewReabstraction Telephone interview (ED only)125115/6031
    Total1,124
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    Jeffrey M. Zirger,

    Lead, Information Collection Review Office, Office of Scientific Integrity, Office of Science, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

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    [FR Doc. 2020-01383 Filed 1-27-20; 8:45 am]

    BILLING CODE 4163-18-P

Document Information

Published:
01/28/2020
Department:
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Entry Type:
Notice
Action:
Notice with comment period.
Document Number:
2020-01383
Dates:
CDC must receive written comments on or before March 30, 2020.
Pages:
4990-4991 (2 pages)
Docket Numbers:
60Day-20-0278, Docket No. CDC-2020-0004
PDF File:
2020-01383.Pdf