Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 88 / Thursday, May 7, 2015 / Notices 26261 

development and has been convened to 

discuss the proposed changes to the 

HSOPS survey and supplemental items. 

Upon completion of the pilot test, 

results will be reviewed with the TEP 

and the survey will be finalized. This 

TEP activity does not impose a burden 

on the public and is therefore not 

included in the burden estimates in 

Exhibits 1 and 2. 

(4) Dissemination activities—The 

final HSOPS 2.0 instrument and 

supplemental items will be made 

publicly available through the AHRQ 

Web site. A report from the bridge study 

will also be made public as a resource 

to hospitals making the transition to the 

new survey. This dissemination activity 

does not impose a burden on the public 

and is therefore not included in the 

burden estimates in Exhibits 1 and 2. 

Estimated Annual Respondent Burden 

Exhibit 1 shows the estimated 

annualized burden hours for the 

participants’ time to take part in this 

research. Cognitive interviews for the 

draft HSOPS 2.0 will be conducted with 

36 individuals and will take about one 

hour and 30 minutes to complete. 

Cognitive interviews for the 

supplemental items will be conducted 

with 36 individuals and take about one 

hour to complete. We will recruit 40 

hospitals for the pilot test and bridge 

study, sampling approximately 500 staff 

members in each (250 taking the 

original survey and 250 taking the 

HSOPS 2.0 and supplemental item set). 

Because we require such a large sample 

within each hospital, we will target only 

hospitals with 49 or more beds. For 

hospitals with fewer than 500 providers 

and staff, we will conduct a census in 

the hospital (assuming on average 375 

providers and staff in these hospitals 

this will yield a total of 18,375 sample 

members assuming all 40 hospitals 

participate. Assuming a response rate of 

50 percent, this will yield a total of 

9,188 completed questionnaires. The 

total annualized burden is estimated to 

be 2,387 hours. 

Exhibit 2 shows the estimated 

annualized cost burden associated with 

the participants’ time to take part in this 

research. The total cost burden is 

estimated to be $83,533.26. 

EXHIBIT 1—ESTIMATED ANNUALIZED BURDEN HOURS

Form name/activity Number of 

respondents 

Hours per 

response 

Total burden 

hours 

Cognitive interviews—HSOPS 2.0 .............................................................................................. 36 1.5 54 

Cognitive interviews—Supplemental Items ................................................................................. 36 1.0 36 

Pilot test and bridge study ........................................................................................................... 9,188 0.25 2,297 

Total ...................................................................................................................................... 9,260 na 2,387 

EXHIBIT 2—ESTIMATED ANNUALIZED COST BURDEN

Form name/activity Total burden 

hours 

Average 

hourly wage 

rate * 

Total cost 

burden 

Cognitive interviews (HSOPS 2.0 and supplemental items) ....................................................... 90 a $35.38 $3,184.20 

Pilot test and bridge study ........................................................................................................... 2,297 b 34.98 80,349.06 

Total ...................................................................................................................................... 2,387 na 83,533.26 

aBased on the weighted average hourly wage in hospitals for one physician (29–1060; $101.53), one registered nurse (29–1141; $30.22), one 

general and operations manager (11–1021; $52.64), and six clinical lab techs (29–2010; $22.34) whose hourly wage is meant to represent 

wages for other hospital employees who may participate in cognitive interviews. bBased on the weighted average hourly wage in hospitals for 1,981 registered nurses, 209 clinical lab techs, 176 physicians and surgeons, 

and 21 general and operations managers. 

* National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates, May 2013, from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (available at http://

www.bls.gov/oes/current/naics4_621100.htm [for general medical and surgical hospitals, NAICS 622100]). 

Request for Comments 

In accordance with the Paperwork 

Reduction Act, 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 and health care 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: April 27, 2015. 

Sharon B. Arnold, 

Deputy Director, AHRQ. 

[FR Doc. 2015–10982 Filed 5–6–15; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4160–90–P 

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND 

HUMAN SERVICES 

Agency for Healthcare Research and 

Quality 

National Advisory Council for 

Healthcare Research and Quality: 

Request for Nominations for Public 

Members 

AGENCY: Agency for Healthcare Research 

and Quality (AHRQ), HHS. 

ACTION: Notice of request for 

nominations for public members. 

SUMMARY: 42 U.S.C. 299c establishes a 

National Advisory Council for 

Healthcare Research and Quality (the 

Council). The Council is to advise the 

Secretary of HHS (Secretary) and the 

mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES

26262 Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 88 / Thursday, May 7, 2015 / Notices 

Director of the Agency for Healthcare 

Research and Quality (AHRQ) on 

matters related to activities of the 

Agency to produce evidence to make 

health care safer, higher quality, more 

accessible, equitable, and affordable, 

and to work within the U.S. Department 

of Health and Human Services and with 

other partners to make sure that the 

evidence is understood and used. 

Seven current members’ terms will 

expire in November 2015. To fill these 

positions, we are seeking individuals 

who are distinguished in: (1) The 

conduct of research, demonstration 

projects, and evaluations with respect to 

health care; (2) the fields of health care 

quality research or health care 

improvement; (3) the practice of 

medicine; (4) other health professions; 

(5) representing the private health care 

sector (including health plans, 

providers, and purchasers) or 

administrators of health care delivery 

systems; (6) the fields of health care 

economics, information systems, law, 

ethics, business, or public policy; and, 

(7) representing the interests of patients 

and consumers of health care. 42 U.S.C. 

299c(c)(2). Individuals are particularly 

sought with experience and success in 

activities specified in the summary 

above. 

DATES: Nominations should be received 

on or before 60 days after date of 

publication. 

ADDRESSES: Nominations should be sent 

to Ms. Karen Brooks, AHRQ, 540 

Gaither Road, Room 3006, Rockville, 

Maryland 20850. Nominations may also 

be emailed to Karen.Brooks@

ahrq.hhs.gov. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Jaime Zimmerman, AHRQ, at (301) 427– 

1456. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 42 U.S.C. 

299c provides that the Secretary shall 

appoint to the National Advisory 

Council for Healthcare Research and 

Quality twenty one appropriately 

qualified individuals. At least seventeen 

members shall be representatives of the 

public and at least one member shall be 

a specialist in the rural aspects of one 

or more of the professions or fields 

listed in the above summary. In 

addition, the Secretary designates, as ex 

officio members, representatives from 

other Federal agencies, principally 

agencies that conduct or support health 

care research, as well as Federal officials 

the Secretary may consider appropriate. 

42 U.S.C. 299c(c)(3). The Council meets 

in the Washington, DC, metropolitan 

area, generally in Rockville, Maryland, 

approximately three times a year to 

provide broad guidance to the Secretary 

and AHRQ’s Director on the direction of 

and programs undertaken by AHRQ. 

Seven individuals will be selected by 

the Secretary to serve on the Council 

beginning with the meeting in the 

spring of 2016. Members generally serve 

3-year terms. Appointments are 

staggered to permit an orderly rotation 

of membership. 

Interested persons may nominate one 

or more qualified persons for 

membership on the Council. Selfnominations are accepted. Nominations 

shall include: (1) A copy of the 

nominee’s resume or curriculum vitae; 

and (2) a statement that the nominee is 

willing to serve as a member of the 

Council. Selected candidates will be 

asked to provide detailed information 

concerning their financial interests, 

consultant positions and research grants 

and contracts, to permit evaluation of 

possible sources of conflict of interest. 

Please note that once a candidate is 

nominated, AHRQ may consider that 

nomination for future positions on the 

Council. Federally registered lobbyists 

are not permitted to serve on this 

advisory board pursuant to the 

Presidential Memorandum entitled 

‘‘Lobbyists on Agency Boards and 

Commissions’’ dated June 10, 2010, and 

the Office of Management and Budget’s 

‘‘Final Guidance on Appointment of 

Lobbyists to Federal Boards and 

Commissions,’’ 76 FR 61756 (October 5, 

2011). 

The Department seeks a broad 

geographic representation. In addition, 

AHRQ conducts and supports research 

concerning priority populations, which 

include: low-income groups; minority 

groups; women; children; the elderly; 

and individuals with special health care 

needs, including individuals with 

disabilities and individuals who need 

chronic care or end-of-life health care. 

See 42 U.S.C. 299(c). Nominations of 

persons with expertise in health care for 

these priority populations are 

encouraged. 

Sharon B. Arnold, 

Deputy Director. 

[FR Doc. 2015–10983 Filed 5–6–15; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4160–90–P 

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. 

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 

changes to the currently approved 

information collection project: ‘‘Medical 

Expenditure Panel Survey—Insurance 

Component.’’ In accordance with the 

Paperwork Reduction Act, 44 U.S.C. 

3501–3521, AHRQ invites the public to 

comment on this proposed information 

collection. 

This proposed information collection 

was previously published in the Federal 

Register on February 18th, 2015 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. 

DATES: Comments on this notice must be 

received by June 8, 2015. 

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 

OIRA_submission@omb.eop.gov 

(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 

email at doris.lefkowitz@AHRQ.hhs.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Proposed Project 

Medical Expenditure Panel Survey— 

Insurance Component 

Employer-sponsored health insurance 

is the source of coverage for 78 million 

current and former workers, plus many 

of their family members, and is a 

cornerstone of the U.S. health care 

system. The Medical Expenditure Panel 

Survey—Insurance Component (MEPS– 

IC) measures on an annual basis the 

extent, cost, and coverage of employersponsored health insurance. These 

statistics are produced at the National, 

State, and sub-State (metropolitan area) 

level for private industry. Statistics are 

also produced for State and local 

governments. The MEPS–IC was last 

approved by OMB on November 21, 

2013 and will expire on November 30, 

2016. The OMB control number for the 

MEPS–IC is 0935–0110. All of the 

supporting documents for the current 

MEPS–IC can be downloaded from 

OMB’s Web site at http:// 

www.reginfo.gov/public/do/ 

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