2023-03912. Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection: Public Comment Request; Office for the Advancement of Telehealth Outcome Measures, OMB No. 0915-0311-Extension

AGENCY:

Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), Department of Health and Human Services.

ACTION:

Notice.

SUMMARY:

In compliance with the requirement for opportunity for public comment on proposed data collection projects of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, HRSA announces plans to submit an Information Collection Request (ICR), described below, to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). Prior to submitting the ICR to OMB, HRSA seeks comments from the public regarding the burden estimate, below, or any other aspect of the ICR.

DATES:

Comments on this ICR should be received no later than April 28, 2023.

ADDRESSES:

Submit your comments to [e-mail] or mail the HRSA Information Collection Clearance Officer, Room 14N136B, 5600 Fishers Lane, Rockville, MD 20857.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

To request more information on the proposed project or to obtain a copy of the data collection plans and draft instruments, email [e-mail] or call Samantha Miller, the HRSA Information Collection Clearance Officer, at 301-594-4394.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

When submitting comments or requesting information, please include the information request collection title for reference.

Information Collection Request Title: Office for the Advancement of Telehealth Outcome Measures OMB No. 0915-0311—Extension.

Abstract: This clearance request is for extending the approval of the Office for Advancement of Telehealth Outcome Measures that are currently approved under OMB No. 0915-0311, with an expiration date of October 31, 2023. To help carry out its mission, HRSA created this set of performance measures that grantees of the Telehealth Network Grant Program can use to evaluate the effectiveness of their services programs and monitor their progress using performance reporting data.

Need and Proposed Use of the Information: As required by the Government Performance and Review Act of 1993, all federal agencies must develop strategic plans describing their overall goal and objectives. HRSA has worked with grantees of the Telehealth Network Grant Program to develop performance measures to be used to evaluate and monitor the progress of the grantees. Grantee goals are to improve access to needed services; reduce rural practitioner isolation; improve health system productivity and efficiency; and improve patient outcomes. In each of these categories, specific indicators were designed to be reported through a performance monitoring website. Measures for the Telehealth Network Grant Program capture awardee-level and aggregate data that illustrate the impact and scope of federal funding along with assessing these efforts. The measures speak to the Office for Advancement of Telehealth's progress toward meeting the goals, specifically telehealth services delivered through Emergency Departments.

Likely Respondents: Telehealth Network Grant Program Grantees.

Burden Statement: Burden in this context means the time expended by persons to generate, maintain, retain, disclose, or provide the information requested. This includes the time needed to review instructions; to develop, acquire, install, and utilize technology and systems for the purpose of collecting, validating and verifying information, processing and maintaining information, and disclosing and providing information; to train personnel and to be able to respond to a collection of information; to search data sources; to complete and review the collection of information; and to transmit or otherwise disclose the information. The total annual burden hours estimated for this ICR are summarized in the table below.

Total Estimated Annualized Burden Hours

Form name	Number of respondents	Number of responses per respondent	Total responses	Average burden per response (in hours)	Total burden hours
Performance Improvement Measurement System	29	1	29	7	203
Total	29		29		203

HRSA specifically requests comments on: (1) the necessity and utility of the proposed information collection for the proper performance of the agency's functions; (2) the accuracy of the estimated burden; (3) ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and (4) the use of automated collection techniques or other forms of information technology to minimize the information collection burden.

Maria G. Button,

Director, Executive Secretariat.