Federal Register / Vol. 71, No. 196 / Wednesday, October 11, 2006 / Notices 59791 

October 3, 2006. 

Mirtha R. Beadle, 

Deputy Director, Office of Minority Health, 

Office of Public Health and Science, Office 

of the Secretary, U.S. Department of Health 

and Human Services. 

[FR Doc. 06–8596 Filed 10–10–06; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4150–29–m 

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, Department of Health and 

Human Services. 

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) allow the proposed 

information collection project: 

‘‘Assessment of Unreimbursed Care 

among Community Primary Care 

Physicians.’’ 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. 

DATES: Comments on this notice must be 

received by November 13, 2006. 

ADDRESSES: Written comments should 

be submitted to: Doris Lefkowitz, 

Reports Clearance Officer, AHRQ, 540 

Gaither Road, Room #5036, Rockville, 

MD 20850. Copies of the proposed 

collection plans, data collection 

instruments, and specific details on the 

estimated burden can be obtained from 

AHRQ’s Reports Clearance Officer. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Doris Lefkowitz, AHRQ, Reports 

Clearance Officer, (301) 427–1477. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Proposed Project 

‘‘Assessment of Unreimbursed Care 

among Community Primary Care 

Physicians’’

This project is being conducted as 

part of AHRQ’s Primary Care PracticeBased Research Networks (PBRN). One 

of AHRQ’s PBRN contractors, the 

American Academy of Family 

Physician’s National Research Network 

(AAFP–NRN), will survey primary care 

practices participating in its PBRN in 

order to assess the current state of unreimbursed medical care provided in 

community based primary care 

practices. 

There has been substantial research 

conducted to quantify the amount of unreimbursed care provided in private 

physicians’ offices. This survey will 

collect information from a sample of 

community-based primary care 

practices that are widely representative 

of private physicians across the United 

States in order to understand the current 

state of private primary care office unreimbursed care and help assess factors 

that encourage and discourage practices 

from engaging in this activity. 

The AAFP–NRN will collaborate with 

AHRQ on the design of a selfadministered, web-based questionnaire. 

The survey will collect information 

pertaining to the level of un-reimbursed 

care in the practice as well as 

characteristics of the practice, the 

physician(s) and the patient population. 

Methods of Collection 

The survey will be distributed to 1200 

primary care physicians with an 

expected response rate of 65% (780 

responses). A stratified sampling 

approach will be used to ensure 

appropriate representation from the four 

Census regions, urban and rural areas, 

and small and large practices. Selected 

physicians will receive a letter 

informing them of the purpose of the 

study, inviting them to participate and 

offering them the opportunity to 

complete the survey on paper or via the 

Internet. A follow-up mailing with a 

duplicate paper-based version of the 

questionnaire will be mailed to nonresponders after two weeks. Reminder 

phone calls will be placed in weeks four 

and six to all non-responders. If 

necessary to achieve target response 

rates, a re-mailing of the paper-based 

questionnaire will occur in week eight. 

The questionnaire is estimated to take 

no more than fifteen minutes to 

complete. 

ESTIMATED ANNUAL RESPONDENT BURDEN

Data collection effort Number of 

respondents 

Estimated time 

per respondent in hours 

Estimated total 

burden hours 

Primary care clinicians ................................................................................................................. 780 .25 195 

Estimated Costs to the Federal 

Government 

The total cost to the government for 

this activity is estimated to be $129,956. 

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 health care research and 

information dissemination functions of 

AHRQ, 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. 

To date, one comment has been 

received. The commenter noted that s/ 

he believed no physicians provide free 

care. The purpose of this survey is to 

assess the current state of private 

primary care office un-reimbursed care 

and help assess factors that encourage 

and discourage practices from engaging 

in this activity. 

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 26, 2006. 

Carolyn M. Clancy, 

Director. 

[FR Doc. 06–8607 Filed 10–10–06; 8:45am] 

BILLING CODE 4160–90–M 


pwalker on PRODPC60 with NOTICES