[Federal Register: October 23, 2003 (Volume 68, Number 205)]
[Notices]               
[Page 60695]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr23oc03-48]                         

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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality

 
Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; 
Comment Request

AGENCY: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, HHS.

ACTION: Notice.

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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) allow the proposed information collection 
project: ``Surveys of Employee Benefit Managers of Large National 
Employers Concerning Dissemination Effectiveness of Health Services 
Research Information (SEBM)''. In accordance with the Paperwork 
Reduction Act of 1995, Public Law 104-13 (44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(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 August 20, 2003 and allowed 60 days for public 
comment. No public comments were received. The purpose of this notice 
is to allow an additional 30 days for public comment.

DATES: Comments on this notice must be received by November 24, 2003.

ADDRESSES: Written comments should be submitted to: Allison Eydt, Human 
Resources and Housing Branch, Office of Information and Regulatory 
Affairs, OMB, New Executive Office Building, Room 10235, Washington, DC 
20503.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Cynthia D. McMichael, AHRQ, Reports 
Clearance Officer, (301) 427-1651.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Proposed Project

    ``Surveys of Employee Benefit Managers of Large National Employers 
Concerning Dissemination Effectiveness of Health Research Information 
(SEBM)''
    The SEBM is a series of two questionnaires and one telephone 
interview to learn the extent of awareness, use of, and satisfaction 
with the content of health services research information by employee 
benefits managers of large national employers.
    The surveys will also measure the effectiveness of the methods used 
to disseminate health services research information. The initial survey 
will serve as a benchmark against which the remaining two surveys in 
this study will be measured. Subsequent to the initial survey, AHRQ 
will initiate two interventions: (1) Placing AHRQ-sponsored information 
on a website and (2) making personal contact with employee benefits 
managers; a survey will follow each intervention to measure the extent 
to which each intervention makes employee benefit managers aware of 
AHRQ and its health research information. With this knowledge, AHRQ 
will be able to make changes to its information dissemination efforts 
to make them more effective and responsive to employee benefit 
managers.

Data Confidentiality Provisions

    Data collected by the contractor and the contractor's draft 
analyses will be retained for one year after final acceptance of all 
contract deliverables, unless longer retention is requested by the 
agency for audit purposes. All agency documents pertaining to the 
contract will be archived after the contract is completed and retained 
in accordance with a Federal Records Act retention schedule.

Methods of Collection

    The data will be collected using a combination of web-based and 
telephone surveys.

                                       Estimated Annual Respondent Burden
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                                                                Estimated time                       Estimated
                    Survey                         Number of    per respondent   Estimated total  annual cost to
                                                  respondents     in minutes      burden hours    the government
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Initial Benchmark Survey......................             240              10              40             $4000
Post Intervention Survey 1...........              45              10               7.5             750
Post Intervention Survey 2...........             240              10              40              4000
                                               -----------------
    Total.....................................             525              10              87.5            8750
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Request for Comments

    In accordance with the above cited 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 functions of AHRQ, including 
whether the information will have practical utility; (b) the accuracy 
of AHRQ's estimate of burden (including hours and cost) of the proposed 
collection 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 request for OMB approval of the proposed 
information collection. All comments will become a matter of public 
record.

    Dated: September 29, 2003.
Carolyn M. Clancy,
Director.
[FR Doc. 03-26815 Filed 10-22-03; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4160-90-M