15222 Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 55 / Monday, March 23, 2015 / Notices 

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 

information collection project: ‘‘Medical 

Office Survey on Patient Safety Culture 

Comparative Database.’’ In accordance 

with the Paperwork Reduction Act, 44 

U.S.C. 3501–3521, AHRQ invites the 

public to comment on this proposed 

information collection. 

DATES: Comments on this notice must be 

received by May 22, 2015. 

ADDRESSES: Written comments should 

be submitted to: Doris Lefkowitz, 

Reports Clearance Officer, AHRQ, by 

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

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 Office Survey on Patient Safety 

Culture Comparative Database 

Background on the Medical Office 

Survey on Patient Safety Culture 

(Medical Office SOPS). In 1999, the 

Institute of Medicine called for health 

care organizations to develop a ‘‘culture 

of safety’’ such that their workforce and 

processes focus on improving the 

reliability and safety of care for patients 

(IOM, 1999; To Err is Human: Building 

a Safer Health System). To respond to 

the need for tools to assess patient safety 

culture in health care, AHRQ developed 

and pilot tested the Medical Office 

SOPS with OMB approval (OMB NO. 

0935–0131; Approved July 5, 2007). 

The survey is designed to enable 

medical offices to assess provider and 

staff opinions about patient safety 

issues, medical error, and error 

reporting. The survey includes 38 items 

that measure 10 composites of patient 

safety culture. In addition to the 

composite items, 14 items measure how 

often medical offices have problems 

exchanging information with other 

settings and other patient safety and 

quality issues. AHRQ made the survey 

publicly available along with a Survey 

User’s Guide and other toolkit materials 

in December 2008 on the AHRQ Web 

site (located at http://www.ahrq.gov/

professionals/quality-patient-safety/

patientsafetyculture/medical-office/

index.html). Since its release, the survey 

has been voluntarily used by hundreds 

of medical offices in the U.S. 

The Medical Office SOPS 

Comparative Database consists of data 

from the AHRQ Medical Office Survey 

on Patient Safety Culture. Medical 

offices in the U.S. are asked to 

voluntarily submit data from the survey 

to AHRQ, through its contractor Westat. 

The Medical Office SOPS Database 

(OMB NO. 0935–0196, last approved on 

June 12, 2012) was developed by AHRQ 

in 2011 in response to requests from 

medical offices interested in knowing 

how their patient safety culture survey 

results compare to those of other 

medical offices in their efforts to 

improve patient safety. 

Rationale for the information 

collection. The Medical Office SOPS 

and the Comparative Database support 

AHRQ’s goals of promoting 

improvements in the quality and safety 

of health care in medical office settings. 

The survey, toolkit materials, and 

comparative database results are all 

made publicly available on AHRQ’s 

Web site. Technical assistance is 

provided by AHRQ through its 

contractor at no charge to medical 

offices, to facilitate the use of these 

materials for medical office patient 

safety and quality improvement. 

The goal of this project is to renew the 

Medical Office SOPS Comparative 

Database. This Database will: 

(1) Allow medical offices to compare 

their patient safety culture survey 

results with those of other medical 

offices, 

(2) Provide data to medical offices to 

facilitate internal assessment and 

learning in the patient safety 

improvement process, and 

(3) Provide supplemental information 

to help medical offices identify their 

strengths and areas with potential for 

improvement in patient safety culture. 

This study is being conducted by 

AHRQ through its contractor Westat, 

pursuant to AHRQ’s statutory authority 

to conduct and support research on 

health care and on systems for the 

delivery of such care, including 

activities with respect to: The quality, 

effectiveness, efficiency, 

appropriateness and value of health care 

services; quality measurement and 

improvement; and database 

development. 42 U.S.C. 299a(a)(1), (2), 

and (8). 

Method of Collection 

To achieve the goal of this project the 

following activities and data collections 

will be implemented: 

(1) Eligibility and Registration Form— 

The medical office point-of-contact 

(POC) completes a number of data 

submission steps and forms, beginning 

with the completion of an online 

eligibility and registration form. The 

purpose of this form is to determine the 

eligibility status and initiate the 

registration process for medical offices 

seeking to voluntarily submit their 

Medical Office SOPS data to the 

Medical Office SOPS Comparative 

Database. 

(2) Data Use Agreement—The purpose 

of the data use agreement, completed by 

the medical office POC, is to state how 

data submitted by medical offices will 

be used and provides confidentiality 

assurances. 

(3) Medical Office Site Information 

Form—The purpose of the site 

information form is to obtain basic 

information about the characteristics of 

the medical offices submitting their 

Medical Office SOPS data to the 

Medical Office SOPS Comparative 

Database (e.g. number of providers and 

staff, ownership, and type of specialty). 

The medical office POC completes the 

form. 

(4) Data Files Submission—The 

number of submissions to the database 

is likely to vary each year because 

medical offices do not administer the 

survey and submit data every year. Data 

submission is typically handled by one 

POC who is either an office manager, 

nurse manager, or a survey vendor who 

contracts with a medical office to collect 

their data. POCs submit data on behalf 

of 10 medical offices, on average, 

because many medical offices are part of 

a health system that includes many 

medical office sites, or the POC is a 

vendor that is submitting data for 

multiple medical offices. After 

registering, if registrants are deemed 

eligible to submit data, an automated 

email is sent to authenticate the account 

and update the user password. Next the 

POC enters medical office information 

and uploads the survey questionnaire 

and submits a data use agreement. POCs 

then upload their data file(s), using the 

medical office data file specifications, to 

ensure that users submit standardized 

and consistent data in the way variables 

are named, coded, and formatted. 

Survey data from the AHRQ Medical 

Office SOPS are used to produce three 

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Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 55 / Monday, March 23, 2015 / Notices 15223 

types of products: (1) A Medical Office 

SOPS Comparative Database Report that 

is produced periodically and made 

publicly available on the AHRQ Web 

site (see http://www.ahrq.gov/

professionals/quality-patient-safety/

patientsafetyculture/medical-office/

2014/index.html); (2) Individual 

Medical Office Survey Feedback Reports 

that are confidential, customized reports 

produced for each medical office that 

submits data to the database (the 

number of reports produced is based on 

the number of medical offices 

submitting each year); and (3) Research 

data sets of individual-level and 

medical office-level de-identified data to 

enable researchers to conduct analyses. 

Medical offices are asked to 

voluntarily submit their Medical Office 

SOPS survey data to the Comparative 

Database. The data are then cleaned and 

aggregated and used to produce a 

Comparative Database Report that 

displays averages, standard deviations, 

and percentile scores on the survey’s 38 

items that measure 10 composites of 

patient safety culture, and 14 items 

measuring how often medical offices 

have problems exchanging information 

with other settings and other patient 

safety and quality issues. The report 

also displays these results by medical 

office characteristics (size of office, 

specialty, geographic region, etc.) and 

respondent characteristics (staff 

position). 

Data submitted by medical offices are 

used to give each medical office its own 

customized survey feedback report that 

presents the medical office’s results 

compared to the latest comparative 

database results. 

Medical offices use the Medical Office 

SOPS, Comparative Database Reports 

and Individual Medical Office Survey 

Feedback Reports for a number of 

purposes, to 

• Raise staff awareness about patient 

safety. 

• Diagnose and assess the current 

status of patient safety culture in their 

medical office. 

• Identify strengths and areas for 

improvement in patient safety culture. 

• Evaluate the cultural impact of 

patient safety initiatives and 

interventions. 

• Compare patient safety culture 

survey results with other medical offices 

in their efforts to improve patient safety 

and health care quality. 

Estimated Annual Respondent Burden 

Exhibit 1 shows the estimated 

annualized burden hours for the 

respondents’ time to participate in the 

database. An estimated 150 POCs, each 

representing an average of 10 individual 

medical offices each, will complete the 

database submission steps and forms 

annually. Completing the registration 

form will take about 3 minutes. The 

Medical Office Information Form is 

completed by all POCs for each of their 

medical offices (150 × 10 = 1,500 forms 

in total) and is estimated to take 5 

minutes to complete. Each POC will 

complete a data use agreement which 

takes 3 minutes to complete and 

submitting the data will take an hour on 

average. The total burden is estimated to 

be 291 hours. 

Exhibit 2 shows the estimated 

annualized cost burden based on the 

respondents’ time to submit their data. 

The cost burden is estimated to be 

$13,968 annually. 

EXHIBIT 1—ESTIMATED ANNUALIZED BURDEN HOURS

Form name 

Number of 

respondents/ 

POCs 

Number of 

responses 

per POC 

Hours per 

response 

Total burden 

hours 

Eligibility/Registration Form ............................................................................. 150 1 3/60 8 

Data Use Agreement ....................................................................................... 150 1 3/60 8 

Medical Office Information Form ..................................................................... 150 10 5/60 125 

Data Files Submission ..................................................................................... 150 1 1 150 

Total .......................................................................................................... 600 NA NA 291 

EXHIBIT 2—ESTIMATED ANNUALIZED COST BURDEN

Form name 

Number of 

respondents/ 

POCs 

Total burden 

hours 

Average 

hourly wage 

rate * 

Total cost 

burden 

Registration Form ............................................................................................ 150 8 $48.00 $384 

Data Use Agreement ....................................................................................... 150 8 48.00 384 

Medical Office Information Form ..................................................................... 150 125 48.00 6,000 

Data Files Submission ..................................................................................... 150 150 48.00 7,200 

Total .......................................................................................................... 600 816 NA 13,968 

* Mean hourly wage rate of $48.00 for Medical and Health Services Managers (SOC code 11–9111) was obtained from the May 2013 National 

Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates, NAICS 621100—Offices of Physicians located at http://www.bls.gov/oes/2013/ 

may/naics4_621100.htm. 

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. 

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15224 Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 55 / Monday, March 23, 2015 / Notices 

Dated: March 17, 2015. 

Sharon B. Arnold, 

Deputy Director, AHRQ. 

[FR Doc. 2015–06450 Filed 3–20–15; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4160–90–P 

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND 

HUMAN SERVICES 

Administration for Children and 

Families 

Proposed Information Collection 

Activity; Comment Request 

Proposed Projects: 

Title: Supplemental Nutrition 

Assistance Program (SNAP) Agency 

Matching Program Performance 

Reporting Tool. 

OMB No.: New Collection. 

Description: State agencies 

administering a Supplemental Nutrition 

Assistance Program (SNAP) are 

mandated to participate in a computer 

matching program with the federal 

Office of Child Support Enforcement 

(OCSE). The outcomes of the 

computerized comparisons with 

information maintained in the National 

Directory of New Hires (NDNH) provide 

the state SNAP agencies with 

information to help administer their 

programs and in determining an 

individual’s eligibility. State agencies 

must enter into a computer matching 

agreement and adhere to its terms and 

conditions, including providing OCSE 

with annual performance outcomes 

attributable to the use of NDNH 

information. 

The Office of Management and Budget 

requires OCSE to periodically report 

performance measurements 

demonstrating how the use of 

information in the NDNH supports 

OCSE’s strategic mission, goals, and 

objectives. OCSE will provide the 

annual SNAP performance outcomes to 

the Office of Management and Budget. 

The information collection activities 

for the SNAP reports are authorized by: 

(1) Subsection 453 (j)(10) of the Social 

Security Act (42 U.S.C. 653(j)(10)), 

which allows the Secretary of the U.S. 

Department of Health and Human 

Services to disclose information 

maintained in the NDNH to state 

agencies administering SNAP under the 

Nutrition Act of 2008, as amended by 

the Agriculture Act of 2014; (2) the 

Privacy Act of 1974, as amended by the 

Computer Matching and Privacy 

Protection Act of 1988 (5 U.S.C. 552a), 

which sets for the terms and conditions 

of a computer matching program; and 

(3) the Government Performance and 

Results Modernization Act of 2010 (Pub. 

L. 111–352), which requires agencies to 

report program performance outcomes 

to the Office of Management and Budget 

and for the reports to be available to the 

public. 

Respondents: State SNAP agencies. 

ANNUAL BURDEN ESTIMATES

Instrument Number of 

respondents 

Number of 

responses per 

respondent 

Average 

burden hours 

per response 

Total burden 

hours 

SNAP Agency Matching Program Performance Reporting Tool ..................... 54 1 1.625 88 

In compliance with the requirements 

of Section 506(c)(2)(A) of the Paperwork 

Reduction Act of 1995, the 

Administration for Children and 

Families is soliciting public comment 

on the specific aspects of the 

information collection described above. 

Copies of the proposed collection of 

information can be obtained and 

comments may be forwarded by writing 

to the Administration for Children and 

Families, Office of Planning, Research 

and Evaluation, 370 L’Enfant 

Promenade SW., Washington, DC 20447, 

Attn: ACF Reports Clearance Officer. 

Email address: infocollection@

acf.hhs.gov. All requests should be 

identified by the title of the information 

collection. 

The Department specifically requests 

comments on: (a) Whether the proposed 

collection of information is necessary 

for the proper performance of the 

functions of the agency, including 

whether the information shall have 

practical utility; (b) the accuracy of the 

agency’s estimate of the burden of the 

proposed collection of information; (c) 

the quality, utility, and clarity of the 

information to be collected; and (d) 

ways to minimize the burden of the 

collection of information on 

respondents, including through the use 

of automated collection techniques or 

other forms of information technology. 

Consideration will be given to 

comments and suggestions submitted 

within 60 days of this publication. 

Robert Sargis, 

Reports Clearance Officer. 

[FR Doc. 2015–06443 Filed 3–20–15; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4184–01–P 

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND 

HUMAN SERVICES 

Agency for Healthcare Research and 

Quality 

Solicitation for Nominations for 

Members of the U.S. Preventive 

Services Task Force (USPSTF) 

AGENCY: Agency for Healthcare Research 

and Quality (AHRQ), HHS. 

ACTION: Solicits nominations for new 

members of USPSTF. 

SUMMARY: The Agency for Healthcare 

Research and Quality (AHRQ) invites 

nominations of individuals qualified to 

serve as members of the U.S. Preventive 

Services Task Force (USPSTF). 

DATES: All nominations submitted in 

writing or electronically will be 

considered for appointment to the 

USPSTF. Nominations must be received 

by May 15th of a given year to be 

considered for appointment to begin in 

January of the following year. 

Arrangement for Public Inspection 

Nominations and applications are 

kept on file at the Center for Evidence 

and Practice Improvement, AHRQ, and 

are available for review during business 

hours. AHRQ does not reply to 

individual nominations, but considers 

all nominations in selecting members. 

Information regarded as private and 

personal, such as a nominee’s social 

security number, home and email 

addresses, home telephone and fax 

numbers, or names of family members 

will not be disclosed to the public (in 

accord with the Freedom of Information 

Act, 5 U.S.C. 552(b)(6); 45 CFR 5.67). 

Nomination Submissions 

Nominations may be submitted in 

writing or electronically, but should 

include: 

1. The applicant’s current curriculum 

vitae and contact information, including 

mailing address, email address, and 

telephone number, and 

2. A letter explaining how this 

individual meets the qualification 

requirements and how he/she would 

contribute to the USPSTF. The letter 

should also attest to the nominee’s 

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