2017-11099. 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.”

DATES:

Comments on this notice must be received by July 31, 2017.

ADDRESSES:

Written comments should be submitted to: Doris Lefkowitz, Reports Clearance Officer, AHRQ, by email at [e-mail].

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, [phone], or by email at [e-mail].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Proposed 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 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. The current clearance was approved on November 12, 2014 and will expire on November 30, 2017.

AHRQ will undertake customer surveys 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.

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 10,900 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 $128,757.

Exhibit 1—Estimated Burden Hours Over 3 Years

Type of information collection	Number of respondents	Number of responses per respondent	Hours per response	Total burden hours
Mail/email *	5,000	1	15/60	1,250
Telephone	200	1	40/60	133
Web-based	5,000	1	10/60	833
Focus Groups	500	1	2.0	1,000
In-person	200	1	50/60	167
Total	10,900	na	na	3,383
* May include telephone non-response follow-up in which case the burden will not change.

Exhibit 2—Estimated Cost Burden Over 3 Years

Type of information collection	Number of respondents	Total burden hours	Average hourly wage rate *	Total cost burden
Mail/email	5,000	1,250	$38.06	$47,575
Telephone	200	133	38.06	5,062
Web-based	5,000	833	38.06	31,704
Focus Groups	500	1,000	38.06	38,060
In-person	200	167	38.06	6,356
Total	10,900	3,383	38.06	128,757
* Bureau of Labor & Statistics on “Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2016” found at the following URL: https://www.bls.gov/​oes/​current/​oes290000.htm for the respondents. The total cost burden for the 3 years of the clearance is estimated to be $386,271.

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.

Sharon B. Arnold,

Deputy Director.