[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 146 (Monday, July 30, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 36563-36564]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-16170]


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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Office of the Secretary

[Docket ID: DOD-2018-HA-0045]


Proposed Collection; Comment Request

AGENCY: Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health 
Affairs, DoD.

ACTION: Information collection notice.

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SUMMARY: In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the 
Defense Health Agency announces a proposed public information 
collection and seeks public comment on the provisions thereof. Comments 
are invited on: 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; the 
accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden of the proposed 
information collection; ways to enhance the quality, utility, and 
clarity of the information to be collected; and ways to minimize the 
burden of the information collection on respondents, including through 
the use of automated collection techniques or other forms of 
information technology.

DATES: Consideration will be given to all comments received by 
September 28, 2018.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments, identified by docket number and 
title, by any of the following methods:
    Federal eRulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov. Follow the 
instructions for submitting comments.
    Mail: Department of Defense, Office of the Chief Management 
Officer, Directorate for Oversight and Compliance, 4800 Mark Center 
Drive, Mailbox #24, Suite 08D09, Alexandria, VA 22350-1700.
    Instructions: All submissions received must include the agency 
name, docket number and title for this Federal Register document. The 
general policy for comments and other submissions from members of the 
public is to make these submissions available for public viewing on the 
internet at http://www.regulations.gov as they are received without 
change, including any personal identifiers or contact information.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: To request more information on this 
proposed information collection or to obtain a copy of the proposal and 
associated collection instruments, please write to Decision Support 
Decision, Defense Health Agency, Attn: Dr. Kimberely Aiyelawo, 7700 
Arlington Blvd., Suite 5101, Falls Church, VA 22042-5101, or call 703-
681-3636.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 
    Title; Associated Form; and OMB Number: Department of Defense 
Patient Safety Culture Survey; OMB Control Number 0720-0034.
    Needs and Uses: The 2001 National Defense Authorization Act 
contains specific sections addressing patient safety in military and 
veterans' health care systems. This legislation states that the 
Secretary of Defense shall establish a patient care error reporting and 
management system to study occurrences of errors in patient care and 
that one purpose of the system should be to ``identify systemic factors 
that are associated with such occurrences'' and ``to provide for action 
to be taken to correct the identified systemic factors.'' (Sec. 754, 
items b2 and b3). In addition, the legislation states that the 
Secretary shall ``continue research and development investments to 
improve communication, coordination, and team work in the provision of 
health care.'' (Sec. 754, item d4).
    In its ongoing response to this legislation, and in support of its 
mission to ``promote a culture of safety to eliminate preventable 
patient harm by engaging, educating and equipping patient-care teams to 
institutionalize evidence-based safe practices,'' the DoD Patient 
Safety Program plans to field the Department of Defense Patient Safety 
Culture Survey. The Culture Survey is based on the Department of Health 
and Human Services' Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality's 
validated survey instrument. The survey obtains MHS staff opinions on 
patient safety issues such as teamwork, communications, medical error 
occurrence and response,

[[Page 36564]]

error reporting, and overall perceptions of patient safety.
    Affected Public: Federal Government; Individuals or Households.
    Annual Burden Hours: 1,533.
    Number of Respondents: 9,200.
    Responses per Respondent: 1.
    Annual Responses: 9,200.
    Average Burden per Response: 10 minutes.
    Frequency: As required.
    The purpose of the survey is to assess the current status of 
patient safety in MHS facilities and to assess patient safety 
improvement over time. The hospital survey tool is the same OMB 
approved tool that was administered in previous years. There will also 
be a corresponding outpatient survey tool with congruous questions 
tailored to the ambulatory or clinic setting. Respondents will select 
the survey corresponding to their care environment. The Web-based 
survey will be administered on a voluntary-basis to all staff working 
in Army, Navy, and Air Force Military Health System (MHS) direct care 
facilities in the U.S. and internationally, including Military 
Treatment Facilities (MTF) hospitals as well as ambulatory and dental 
services. Responses and respondents will remain anonymous. There are 
two versions of the survey that may be administered, corresponding to 
the setting in which care is delivered, either Hospital (inpatient) or 
Ambulatory (outpatient/clinic setting).

    Dated: July 24, 2018.
Aaron T. Siegel,
Alternate OSD Federal Register Liaison Officer, Department of Defense.
[FR Doc. 2018-16170 Filed 7-27-18; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 5001-06-P