Justification for Change

JUSTIFICATION FOR CHANGE

NATIONAL HOSPITAL AMBULATORY MEDICAL CARE SURVEY

This request is for the approval of a non-substantive change to an approved data collection, the ongoing National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey (NHAMCS) (OMB No. 0920-0278). On August 7, 2009, NHAMCS was approved to collect data for the three years 2010, 2011, and 2012. The NHAMCS is a national survey of hospital ambulatory medical care conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)’s National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS).

The Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC), Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) has asked NCHS to modify questions on the facility induction forms for hospitals (NHAMCS-101) and freestanding ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) (NHAMCS-101(FS)) related to adoption of electronic medical records (EMR)/electronic health records (EHR). The EMR/EHR questions are part of an ongoing project that involves the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA). Approval is requested for the following non-substantive changes to approved data collection materials:

• Revise current questions about the capabilities of EMR/EHR systems: new proposed NHAMCS-101 (Attachment A), item 14d; and NHAMCS-101(FS) (Attachment B), item 15h.

• Add questions relating to incentive payments for meaningful use of health information technology: NHAMCS-101 (Attachment A), items 11f, 14a, 14b2, 14e, 14t, 14u2, 14x, 15e, 15f2, 15i; and NHAMCS-101(FS) (Attachment B), items 15e, 15f2, 15i.

• Delete selected questions related to EMR/EHR from previously approved induction forms: NHAMCS-101 (Attachment C), items 14c, Check Item C2, 14e, 14t, Check Item D2, 14x, 15g, Check Item G, and 15i; and NHAMCS-101(FS) (Attachment D), items 15g, Check Item G, and 15i.

As a result of questions being deleted from the induction forms, there will be no change in burden to the respondent. The new questions to be added to the NHAMCS induction forms are identical to those proposed for collection in the 2010-2012 NAMCS (OMB 0920-0234).