Part B

2

NIH Clinical Center

Request for Generic Clearance

for Surveys of Customers and Other Partners

from the Office of Management and Budget

B. Collections of Information Employing Statistical Methods

1. Respondent Universe and Sampling Methods

The respondent universe will vary for each of the surveys, although methodology for identifying candidate respondents will likely remain constant throughout. For example, inpatients and outpatients will be sent questionnaires after discharge, based on the program generated by our external consultant. Family members will be asked to complete a survey at the time of the patient’s discharge; visitors will be given a brief questionnaire to complete as they leave the hospital. Referring physicians will receive a questionnaire through the mail. Recent (i.e., within the past five years) physician employees and trainees who have left NIH will be identified by their programs. All such individuals who can be identified, along with all current guest workers and identified extramural collaborators will be surveyed electronically.

2. Procedures for Collection of Information

These are surveys of the perceptions of quality of our customers and other partners. Data will be collected from the instruments described and will used to gain an appreciation of customers’ perspectives about the quality of the care and services provided by the Clinical Center.

3. Methods to Maximize Response Rates and to Deal with Nonresponse

The external consultant has a program to identify nonresponders and to send a second survey. Other than this tested survey technique, no additional methods will be used in these surveys to attempt to maximize response rates and/or to deal with nonresponses.

4. Tests of Procedures or Methods to be Undertaken

Initial surveys will be pilot tested with a small subset of respondents to make certain that the questions are clear. These pretests will generally involve seven to nine potential respondents.

5. Individuals Consulted on Statistical Aspect and Individuals Collecting and/or Analyzing Data

Both external and internal consultants who have expertise in design and statistical analysis of data will assist with the assessment of the data generated from these traditional surveys of customer perceptions.