86652 Federal Register / Vol. 88, No. 239 / Thursday, December 14, 2023 / Notices 

EXHIBIT 1—ESTIMATED ANNUALIZED BURDEN HOURS—Continued 

Form name Number of 

respondents 

Number of 

responses per 

respondent 

Hours per 

response 

Total burden 

hours 

Pharmacies Event Form ........................................................................... 9,079 37.6 3/60 17,068 

Subtotal for the MEPS–MPC ............................................................. 100,783 ........................ ........................ 29,111 

Grand Total ................................................................................ 142,383 ........................ ........................ 76,498 

* The Adult SAQ is completed once every two years, on the odd numbered years. 

** The PSAQ is completed once every two years, on the even numbered years. 

EXHIBIT 2—ESTIMATED ANNUALIZED COST BURDEN

Form name Number of 

respondents 

Total burden 

hours 

Average 

hourly wage 

rate 

Total cost 

burden 

MEPS–HC: 

MEPS–HC Core Interview ........................................................................ 11,750 43,083 $29.76 * $1,282,150 

Adult SAQ ................................................................................................. 5,688 332 29.76 * 9,880 

Preventive Care SAQ (PSAQ) .................................................................. 5,688 332 29.76 * 9,880 

Diabetes Care Survey (DCS) ................................................................... 1,000 50 29.76 * 1,488 

Cancer SAQ ............................................................................................. 1,500 500 29.76 * 14,880 

Authorization forms for the MEPS–MPC Provider and Pharmacy Survey ......................................................................................................... 11,750 2,738 29.76 * 81,483 

MEPS Validation Interview ....................................................................... 4,225 352 29.76 * 10,475 

Subtotal for the MEPS–HC ............................................................... 41,600 47,387 ........................ 1,410,236 

MEPS–MPC: 

MPC Contact Guide/Screening Call ......................................................... 54,758 4,563 19.84 ** 90,530 

Home care Providers Event Form ............................................................ 886 257 19.84 ** 5,099 

Office-based Providers Event Form ......................................................... 14,950 3,214 19.84 ** 63,766 

Separately Billing Doctors (SBD) Event Form ......................................... 12,690 888 19.84 ** 17,618 

Hospitals & HMOs (Hospital Event Form ................................................. 8,302 3,113 19.84 ** 61,762 

Institutions (non-hospital) Event Form ...................................................... 118 8 19.84 ** 159 

Pharmacies Event Form ........................................................................... 9,079 17,068 19.35 *** 330,266 

Subtotal for the MEPS–MPC ............................................................. 100,783 29,111 ........................ 569,200 

Grand Total ................................................................................ 142,383 77,067 ........................ 1,979,436 

* Mean hourly wage for All Occupations (00–0000). 

** Mean hourly wage for Medical Secretaries (43–6013). 

*** Mean hourly wage for Pharmacy Technicians (29–2052). 

Occupational Employment Statistics, May 2022 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates United States, U.S. Department of 

Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics. 

Request for Comments 

In accordance with the Paperwork 

Reduction Act, 44 U.S.C. 3501–3520, 

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’s 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: December 11, 2023. 

Marquita Cullom, 

Associate Director. 

[FR Doc. 2023–27462 Filed 12–13–23; 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 

information collection project 

‘‘TeamSTEPPS® 3.0 Training 

Assessment.’’ This proposed 

information collection was previously 

published in the Federal Register on 


lotter on DSK11XQN23PROD with NOTICES1
Federal Register / Vol. 88, No. 239 / Thursday, December 14, 2023 / Notices 86653 

October 4th, 2023 and allowed 60 days 

for public comment. AHRQ received no 

substantive comments from members of 

the public. The purpose of this notice is 

to allow an additional 30 days for public 

comment. 

DATES: Comments on this notice must be 

received by January 16, 2024. 

ADDRESSES: Written comments and 

recommendations for the proposed 

information collection should be sent 

within 30 days of publication of this 

notice to www.reginfo.gov/public/do/ 

PRAMain. Find this particular 

information collection by selecting 

‘‘Currently under 30-day Review—Open 

for Public Comments’’ or by using the 

search function. 

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 

TeamSTEPPS® 3.0 Training Assessment 

In 2006 the Agency for Healthcare 

Research and Quality (AHRQ) and the 

Department of Defense developed 

Strategies & Tools to Enhance 

Performance and Patient Safety, or 

TeamSTEPPS®, an evidence-based 

patient safety program. The main 

objective of the TeamSTEPPS program 

is to improve patient safety by training 

health care staff in various teamwork, 

communication, and patient safety 

concepts, tools, and techniques and 

ultimately increase national capacity for 

supporting teamwork-based patient 

safety efforts in health care 

organizations. 

The updated TeamSTEPPS training 

will now be implemented in different 

settings of various large and small 

healthcare and healthcare-related 

organization and institutions around the 

country. Following implementation of 

the updated training, an assessment for 

change in individuals and teams is 

necessary to examine the degree to 

which the updated TeamSTEPPS 

program enhances users experience, 

improves the teams’ effectiveness, 

streamlines team communication and 

overall increases healthcare 

professionals’ commitment to 

interdisciplinary teamwork. 

This information collection has the 

following goals: 

(1) Assess the overarching short-term 

(immediately after the training) impact 

of the TeamSTEPPS program to 

determine what improvements should 

be made to the training and how it is 

delivered, and 

(2) Assess the long-term (3–9 months 

after the training) impact of the 

TeamSTEPPS program to determine 

how trained participants use and 

implement the TeamSTEPPS tools and 

resources. 

This project is being conducted by 

AHRQ through its contractor, Chatham 

Communications, 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 healthcare 

services and with respect to quality 

measurement and improvement. 42 

U.S.C 299a(a)(1) and (2). 

Method of Collection 

To achieve the goals of this project the 

following data collections will be 

implemented via online questionnaires. 

As such, we are requesting OMB 

approval to conduct three online 

questionnaires to assess the 

effectiveness of the updated 

TeamSTEPPS® training. 

(1) Baseline Survey (administered 

prior to training)—Will include the 

TeamSTEPPS Teamwork Attitudes 

Questionnaire (T–TAQ), knowledge 

assessment questions, and self-reported 

event rates. 

(2) Post-training Survey (administered 

immediately after training 

completion)—Will include questions to 

assess participant training reactions and 

experiences, the TeamSTEPPS 

Teamwork Attitudes Questionnaire (T– 

TAQ), and knowledge assessment 

questions. 

(3) Follow-up Survey (administered 

3–9 months after training completion)— 

Will include the TeamSTEPPS 

Teamwork Perceptions Questionnaire 

(T–TAP); self-reported behavior/ 

implementation activities; facilitators 

and barriers to use of TeamSTEPPS 

concepts, tools, or strategies; selfreported changes in awareness, policies, 

or processes, and self-reported event 

rates. 

Estimated Annual Respondent Burden 

Exhibit 1 shows the estimated 

annualized burden hours for the 

respondent’s time to participate in the 

information collection. Each training 

participant survey will be completed by 

up to 30 individuals from each of 115 

sites and is estimated to require 20 

minutes each (60 minutes total across 

the surveys) to complete. The total 

annualized burden is estimated to be 

3,450 hours. Exhibit 2 shows the 

estimated annualized cost burden based 

on the respondents’ time to participate 

in the study. The total cost burden is 

estimated to be $160,494. 

Exhibit 1. Estimated Annualized Burden 

Hours 

EXHIBIT 1—ESTIMATED ANNUALIZED BURDEN HOURS

Form name Number of 

respondents 

Number of 

responses per 

respondent 

Hours per 

response 

Total 

burden 

hours 

Baseline Survey ................................................................................................. 3,450 1 20/60 1,150 

Post-training Survey .......................................................................................... 3,450 1 20/60 1,150 

Follow-up Survey ............................................................................................... 3,450 1 20/60 1,150 

Total ............................................................................................................ 10,350 N/A N/A 3,450 

Exhibit 2—Estimated Annualized Cost 

Burden 


lotter on DSK11XQN23PROD with NOTICES1
86654 Federal Register / Vol. 88, No. 239 / Thursday, December 14, 2023 / Notices 

EXHIBIT 2—ESTIMATED ANNUALIZED COST BURDEN

Form name Number 

of respondents 

Total burden 

hours 

Average 

hourly wage 

rate * 

Total 

cost 

burden 

Baseline Survey ............................................................................................... 3,450 1,150 $46.52 53,498 

Post-training Survey ........................................................................................ 3,450 1,150 46.52 53,498 

Follow-up Survey ............................................................................................. 3,450 1,150 46.52 53,498 

Total .......................................................................................................... 10,350 3,450 N/A 160,494 

* Based on the mean of the average wages for all health professionals (29–0000): Occupational Wages in the United States, May 2022, U.S. 

Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics (https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes_nat.htm). 

Request for Comments 

In accordance with the Paperwork 

Reduction Act, 44 U.S.C. 3501–3520, 

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’s 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: December 11, 2023. 

Marquita Cullom, 

Associate Director. 

[FR Doc. 2023–27465 Filed 12–13–23; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4160–90–P 

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND 

HUMAN SERVICES 

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid 

Services 

[CMS 3444–FN] 

Medicare Program; Application by The 

Joint Commission (TJC) for Continued 

CMS Approval of Its Home Infusion 

Therapy (HIT) Accreditation Program 

AGENCY: Centers for Medicare & 

Medicaid Services (CMS), Health and 

Human Services (HHS). 

ACTION: Notice. 

SUMMARY: This final notice announces 

our decision to approve The Joint 

Commission (TJC) for continued 

recognition as a national accrediting 

organization that accredits suppliers of 

home infusion therapy (HIT) services 

that wish to participate in the Medicare 

or Medicaid programs. 

DATES: The approval announced in this 

final notice is effective December 15, 

2023 through December 15, 2029. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Shannon Freeland, (410) 786–4348. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

I. Background 

Home infusion therapy (HIT) is a 

treatment option for Medicare 

beneficiaries with a wide range of acute 

and chronic conditions. Section 5012 of 

the 21st Century Cures Act (Pub. L. 114– 

255, enacted December 13, 2016) added 

section 1861(iii) to the Social Security 

Act (the Act), establishing a new 

Medicare benefit for HIT services. 

Section 1861(iii)(1) of the Act defines 

‘‘home infusion therapy’’ as professional 

services, including nursing services; 

training and education not otherwise 

covered under the Durable Medical 

Equipment (DME) benefit; remote 

monitoring; and other monitoring 

services. Home infusion therapy must 

be furnished by a qualified HIT supplier 

and furnished in the individual’s home. 

Sections 1861(iii)(A) and (B) require 

that the individual (patient) must: 

• Be under the care of an applicable 

provider (that is, physician, nurse 

practitioner, or physician assistant); and 

• Have a plan of care established and 

periodically reviewed by a physician in 

coordination with the furnishing of 

home infusion drugs under Part B, 

which prescribes the type, amount, and 

duration of infusion therapy services 

that are to be furnished. 

Section 1861(iii)(3)(D)(i)(III) of the Act 

requires that a qualified HIT supplier be 

accredited by an accrediting 

organization (AO) designated by the 

Secretary in accordance with section 

1834(u)(5) of the Act. 

Section 1834(u)(5)(A) of the Act 

identifies factors for designating HIT 

AOs and in reviewing and modifying 

the list of designated HIT AOs. These 

statutory factors are as follows: 

• The ability of the accrediting 

organization to conduct timely reviews 

of HIT accreditation applications. 

• The ability of the accrediting 

organization to take into account the 

capacities of HIT suppliers located in a 

rural area (as defined in section 

1886(d)(2)(D) of the Act). 

• Whether the accrediting 

organization has established reasonable 

fees to be charged to HIT suppliers 

applying for accreditation. 

• Such other factors as the Secretary 

determines appropriate. 

Section 1834(u)(5)(B) of the Act 

requires the Secretary to designate AOs 

to accredit HIT suppliers furnishing HIT 

not later than January 1, 2021. Section 

1861(iii)(3)(D)(i)(III) of the Act requires 

a ‘‘qualified home infusion therapy 

supplier’’ to be accredited by a CMSapproved AO, pursuant to section 

1834(u)(5) of the Act. 

The Joint Commission’s (TJC’s) 

current term of approval for their Home 

Infusion Therapy accreditation program 

expires December 15, 2023. 

II. Approval of Deeming Organization 

Section 1834(u)(5) of the Act and 

§ 488.1010 require that our findings 

concerning review and approval of a 

national accrediting organization’s 

requirements consider, among other 

factors, the applying accrediting 

organization’s requirements for 

accreditation; survey procedures; 

resources for conducting required 

surveys; capacity to furnish information 

for use in enforcement activities; 

monitoring procedures for provider 

entities found not in compliance with 

the conditions or requirements; and 

ability to provide CMS with the 

necessary data. 

Our rules at 42 CFR 488.1020(a) 

require that we publish, after receipt of 

an organization’s complete application, 

a notice identifying the national 

accrediting body making the request, 


lotter on DSK11XQN23PROD with NOTICES1