30 Day FRN -- National Study of the Hospital AERS

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Federal Register / Vol. 73, No. 192 / Thursday, October 2, 2008 / Notices
Proposed Project

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND
HUMAN SERVICES
Agency for Healthcare Research and
Quality
Agency Information Collection
Activities: Proposed Collection;
Comment Request
Agency for Healthcare Research
and Quality, HHS.
ACTION: Notice.
AGENCY:

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:
‘‘National Study of the Hospital Adverse
Event Reporting Follow-Up Survey.’’ In
accordance with the Paperwork
Reduction Act of 1995, 44 U.S.C.
3506()(2)(A), AHRQ invites the public to
comment on this proposed information
collection.
This proposed information collection
was previously published in the Federal
Register on July 24th, 2008 and allowed
60 days for public comment. No
comments were received. The purpose
of this notice is to allow an additional
30 days for public comment. Changes
were made to this 30 day notice to
account for the electronic patient
records review which were not
accounted for in the 60 day notice.
DATES: Comments on this notice must be
received by December 1, 2008.
ADDRESSES: Written comments should
be submitted to: AHRQ’s OMB Desk
Officer by fax at (202) 395–6974
(attention: AHRQ’s desk officer) or by email at [email protected]
(attention: AHRQ’s desk officer).
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
e-mail at [email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

‘‘National Study of the Hospital Adverse
Event Reporting Follow-Up Survey’’
This proposed information collection
will conduct a survey similar to a
previous AHRQ baseline survey
conducted in 2005, which examined
and characterized adverse event
reporting in the Nation’s hospitals
(Farley DO, Haviland A, Champagne S,
Jain AK, Battles JB, Munier WB, Loeb
JM. Adverse Event Reporting Practices
by U.S. Hospitals: Results of a National
Survey, under review for publication).
The follow-up survey will allow AHRQ
to examine how hospitals’ use of
adverse event reporting systems has
changed over time. The baseline survey
was completed by 1,652 hospital risk
managers selected from a nationally
representative sample frame. The
follow-up survey will consist of a
random sample of 1,200 of the
respondents to the baseline survey. We
anticipate an 85% response rate for the
follow-up survey, resulting in 1,020
completed questionnaires.
Similar to the baseline survey, the
follow-up survey will ascertain whether
hospitals collect information on adverse
events, and how the information is
stored. Information will also be
collected regarding the hospital’s case
definition of a reportable event, whether
information on the severity of the
adverse event is collected, who might
report this information and whether
they can report to a system which is
confidential and/or anonymous. The
questionnaire also asks about the uses of
the data that are collected, and whether
information is used for purposes
including analytic uses, personnel
action, and improvement interventions.
Finally, the questionnaire asks about the
other sources of information that are
useful to hospitals for patient safetyrelated interventions.
This project is being conducted
pursuant to AHRQ’s statutory mandates
to (1) promote health care quality
improvement by conducting and
supporting research that develops and
presents scientific evidence regarding

all aspects of health care, including
methods for measuring quality and
strategies for improving quality (42
U.S.C. 299(b)(1)(F)) and (2) conduct and
support research on health care and on
systems for the delivery of such care,
including activities with respect to
quality measurement and improvement
(42 U.S.C. 299a(a)(2)). In addition,
Congress has, in report language,
directed AHRQ to provide a report
detailing the results of its efforts to
reduce medical errors. See Report for
the Departments of Labor, Health and
Human Services, and Education, and
related agencies Appropriation Bill for
Fiscal Year 2002, S. Rep. 107–84, at 11
(2001),
This project is being funded by AHRQ
and conducted by the RAND
Corporation as part of a contract under
which RAND serves as the Patient
Safety Evaluation Center for AHRQ’s
patient safety initiative.
Method of Collection
The baseline survey and data
collection procedures have been
previously conducted and reviewed
(under OMB Number 0935–0125,
Expiration Date 07/31/2008). The
follow-up survey will include an initial
mailed survey with two waves of mailed
follow-ups as needed, and a ComputerAssisted Telephone Interviewing (CATI)
survey follow-up for the remaining nonresponders. The survey will be
completed by one Risk Manager per
hospital.
Estimated Annual Respondent Burden
Exhibit 1 shows the estimated
annualized burden hours for the
respondents’ time to participate in this
information collection. The
questionnaire is expected to require 25
minutes to complete, resulting in a total
burden of 425 hours.
Exhibit 2 shows the estimated
annualized cost burden for the
respondents, which is estimated to be
$11,518. The respondents will not incur
any other costs beyond those associated
with their time to participate.

EXHIBIT 1—ESTIMATED ANNUALIZED BURDEN HOURS

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Risk manager questionnaire ............................................................
Total ..........................................................................................
1 Not

Number of
responses per
respondent

Number of
respondents

Form name

1,020
1,020

Hours per
response

1
(1)

25/60
( 1)

applicable.

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Total burden
hours
425
425

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Federal Register / Vol. 73, No. 192 / Thursday, October 2, 2008 / Notices
EXHIBIT 2—ESTIMATED ANNUALIZED COST BURDEN
Number of
respondents

Form name
Risk manager questionnaire ............................................................
Total ..........................................................................................

Total burden
hours

1,020
1,020

Average hourly
wage rate1

425
425

Total cost burden

$27.10
(2)

$11,518
$11,518

1 Based upon the mean of the average wages, National Compensation Survey: Occupational wages in the United States 2006, ‘‘U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics.’’
2 Not applicable.

Estimated Annual Costs to the Federal
Government

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND
HUMAN SERVICES

The Agency is supporting the conduct
of this survey and analysis of survey
data as part of a contract with the RAND
Corporation under which RAND serves
as the Patient Safety Evaluation Center
for AHRQ’s patient safety initiative. The
estimated cost for this work is $240,000,
including $190,000 for data collection
activities and $50,000 to design the
study, analyze the data and report the
findings.

Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention

Request for Comments

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In accordance with the above-cited
Paperwork Reduction Act legislation,
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, quality
improvement and 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: September 19, 2008.
Carolyn M. Clancy,
Director.
[FR Doc. E8–23370 Filed 10–1–08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4160–90–M

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Ethics Subcommittee, Advisory
Committee to the Director (ACD),
Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention (CDC)
In accordance with section 10(a)(2) of
the Federal Advisory Committee Act
(Pub. L. 92–463), CDC announces the
following meeting for the
aforementioned subcommittee:
Name: Ethics Subcommittee, Advisory
Committee to the Director (ACD), CDC.
Time and Date: 12–2 p.m., October 9, 2008.
Place: This meeting will be held by
conference call. The call in number is (866)
919–3560 and enter passcode: 4168828.
Status: Open to the public. The public is
welcome to participate during the public
comment period which is tentatively
scheduled from 1:30 p.m.–1:45 p.m.
Purpose: The Ethics Subcommittee will
provide counsel to the ACD, CDC, regarding
a broad range of public health ethics
questions and issues arising from programs,
scientists and practitioners.
Matters to be Discussed: Agenda items will
include review of ethics guidance for public
health emergency preparedness and
response.
Contact Person for More Information: Drue
Barrett, PhD, Designated Federal Official,
Ethics Subcommittee, CDC, 1600 Clifton
Road, NE., M/S D–50, Atlanta, Georgia
30333. Telephone 404–639–4690, e-mail:
[email protected].
The Ethics Subcommittee determines that
subcommittee business requires its
consideration of this matter on less than 15
days notice to the public and that no earlier
notice of this meeting was possible. At the
Ethics Subcommittee’s September 25, 2008
meeting, the subcommittee discussed this
matter and determined that additional
consideration is necessary prior to submitting
the report to the ACD, CDC. The ACD, CDC
is scheduled to meet late October.
The Director, Management Analysis and
Services Office, has been delegated the
authority to sign Federal Register notices
pertaining to announcements of meetings and
other committee management activities, for
both the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention and the Agency for Toxic
Substances and Disease Registry.

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Dated: September 26, 2008.
Elaine L. Baker,
Director, Management Analysis and Services
Office, Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention.
[FR Doc. E8–23268 Filed 10–1–08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4163–18–P

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND
HUMAN SERVICES
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid
Services
[CMS–1419–N]

Medicare Program; Request for
Nominations for the Program Advisory
and Oversight Committee for the
Competitive Acquisition of Durable
Medical Equipment and Other Items
Centers for Medicare &
Medicaid Services (CMS), HHS.
ACTION: Notice.
AGENCY:

SUMMARY: This notice solicits
nominations for individuals to serve on
the Program Advisory and Oversight
Committee (PAOC) that will advise the
Secretary of Health and Human Services
on the competitive acquisition of
durable medical equipment and certain
other items and services under the
Medicare program. Section 1847(c) of
the Social Security Act requires the
Secretary of the Department of Health
and Human Services (Secretary) to
establish the PAOC. In addition, section
1847(c)(4) exempts the PAOC from the
Federal Advisory Committee Act, 5
U.S.C., appendix 2.
DATES: Nominations will be considered
if we receive all of the required
information no later than 5 p.m.,
November 3, 2008.
ADDRESSES: Mail or deliver nominations
to the following address: Division of
DMEPOS Policy, Mail stop C5–08–17,
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid
Services, 7500 Security Boulevard,
Baltimore MD, 21244–1850. Attention:
Ralph Goldberg or Gina Longus.
Nominations may also be e-mailed to
[email protected] or
[email protected].

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