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[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 229 (Friday, November 28, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 70870-70871]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-28137]

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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services

[Document Identifiers: CMS-10542, CMS-10543 and CMS-209]

Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; 
Comment Request

AGENCY: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is 
announcing an opportunity for the public to comment on CMS' intention 
to collect information from the public. Under the Paperwork Reduction 
Act of 1995 (the PRA), federal agencies are required to publish notice 
in the Federal Register concerning each proposed collection of 
information (including each proposed extension or reinstatement of an 
existing collection of information) and to allow 60 days for public 
comment on the proposed action. Interested persons are invited to send 
comments regarding our burden estimates or any other aspect of this 
collection of information, including any of the following subjects: (1) 
The necessity and utility of the proposed information collection for 
the proper performance of the agency's functions; (2) the accuracy of 
the estimated burden; (3) ways to enhance the quality, utility, and 
clarity of the information to be collected; and (4) the use of 
automated collection techniques or other forms of information 
technology to minimize the information collection burden.

DATES: Comments must be received by January 27, 2015.

ADDRESSES: When commenting, please reference the document identifier or 
OMB control number (OCN). To be assured consideration, comments and 
recommendations must be submitted in any one of the following ways:
    1. Electronically. You may send your comments electronically to 
http://www.regulations.gov. Follow the instructions for ``Comment or 
Submission'' or ``More Search Options'' to find the information 
collection document(s) that are accepting comments.
    2. By regular mail. You may mail written comments to the following 
address: CMS, Office of Strategic Operations and Regulatory Affairs, 
Division of Regulations Development, Attention: Document Identifier/OMB 
Control Number __--, Room C4-26-05, 7500 Security Boulevard, Baltimore, 
Maryland 21244-1850.
    To obtain copies of a supporting statement and any related forms 
for the proposed collection(s) summarized in this notice, you may make 
your request using one of following:
    1. Access CMS' Web site address at http://www.cms.hhs.gov/PaperworkReductionActof1995.
    2. Email your request, including your address, phone number, OMB 
number, and CMS document identifier, to Paperwork@cms.hhs.gov.
    3. Call the Reports Clearance Office at (410) 786-1326.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Reports Clearance Office at (410) 786-
1326.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Contents

    This notice sets out a summary of the use and burden associated 
with the following information collections. More detailed information 
can be found in each collection's supporting statement and associated 
materials (see ADDRESSES).

CMS 10542 Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers

[[Page 70871]]

and Systems (HCAHPS) Survey Mode Experiment
CMS 10543 Emergency Department Patient Experience of Care (EDPEC) 
Survey Mode Experiment
CMS 209 Laboratory Personnel Report (CLIA) and Supporting Regulations

    Under the PRA (44 U.S.C. 3501-3520), federal agencies must obtain 
approval from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for each 
collection of information they conduct or sponsor. The term 
``collection of information'' is defined in 44 U.S.C. 3502(3) and 5 CFR 
1320.3(c) and includes agency requests or requirements that members of 
the public submit reports, keep records, or provide information to a 
third party. Section 3506(c)(2)(A) of the PRA requires federal agencies 
to publish a 60-day notice in the Federal Register concerning each 
proposed collection of information, including each proposed extension 
or reinstatement of an existing collection of information, before 
submitting the collection to OMB for approval. To comply with this 
requirement, CMS is publishing this notice.
Information Collection1.
    1. Type of Information Collection Request: New collection (Request 
for a new OMB control number); Title of Information Collection: 
Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems 
(HCAHPS) Survey Mode Experiment; Use: Hospital-level scores derived 
from national implementation of Hospital Consumer Assessment of 
Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) Survey are publicly reported 
quality data on CMS' Hospital Compare Web site. Our HCAHPS initiative 
allows vendors to select one mode of survey administration from four 
approved administration protocols (mail only, telephone only, mail-
telephone mixed mode, and touch-tone IVR only). Before public 
reporting, HCAHPS scores are adjusted for the selected mode of 
administration, using mail administration as the comparison mode, to 
correct for any inflation or deflation of scores that are a result of 
mode. The current mode adjustments employed for HCAHPS are the product 
of two separate mode experiments conducted using different versions of 
the survey and different sample. The purpose of the planned HCAHPS mode 
experiment is to conduct a mode experiment of sufficient sample and 
scale to determine if the mode adjustments currently employed for the 
32-item HCAHPS core survey need revision. An additional goal is to 
collect empirical evidence on the effect of the number of additional 
supplemental items on survey response rate and patterns of response to 
the HCAHPS core demographic items (known as ``About You'' items). Form 
Number: CMS-10542 (OMB control number 0938-New); Frequency: Once; 
Affected Public: Individuals and households; Number of Respondents: 
8,160; Total Annual Responses: 8,160; Total Annual Hours: 1,322. (For 
policy questions regarding this collection contact Elizabeth Flow-
Delwiche at 410-786-1718).
    2. Type of Information Collection Request: New collection (Request 
for a new OMB control number); Title of Information Collection: 
Emergency Department Patient Experience of Care (EDPEC) Survey Mode 
Experiment; Use: This survey supports the six national priorities for 
improving care from the National Quality Strategy developed by the 
Department of Health and Human Services that was called for under the 
Affordable Care Act to create national aims and priorities to guide 
local, state, and national efforts to improve the quality of health 
care. The six priorities include: making care safer by reducing harm 
caused by the delivery of care; ensuring that each person and family 
are engaged as partners in their care; promoting effective 
communication and coordination of care; promoting the most effective 
prevention and treatment practices for the leading causes of mortality, 
starting with cardiovascular disease; working with communities to 
promote wide use of best practices to enable healthy living; and making 
quality care more affordable for individuals, families, employers, and 
governments by developing and spreading new health care delivery 
models. In 2012, we launched the development of the Emergency 
Department Patient Experience of Care Survey (EDPEC) to measure the 
experiences of patients (18 and older) with emergency department care. 
This survey will provide patient experience with care data that enables 
comparisons of emergency department and support for improving the 
quality of patient experience in the emergency department. Form Number: 
CMS-10543 (OMB control number 0938-New); Frequency: Once; Affected 
Public: Individuals and households; Number of Respondents: 4,951; Total 
Annual Responses: 4,951; Total Annual Hours: 923. (For policy questions 
regarding this collection contact Elizabeth Flow-Delwiche at 410-786-
1718).
    3. Type of Information Collection Request: Extension without change 
of a currently approved collection; Title of Information Collection: 
Laboratory Personnel Report (CLIA) and Supporting Regulations; Use: The 
information collected on this survey form is used in the administrative 
pursuit of the Congressionally-mandated program with regard to 
regulation of laboratories participating in CLIA. The surveyor will 
provide the laboratory with the CMS-209 form. While the surveyor 
performs other aspects of the survey, the laboratory will complete the 
CMS-209 by recording the personnel data needed to support their 
compliance with the personnel requirements of CLIA. The surveyor will 
then use this information in choosing a sample of personnel to verify 
compliance with the personnel requirements. Information on personnel 
qualifications of all technical personnel is needed to ensure the 
sample is representative of the entire laboratory; Form Number: CMS-209 
(OMB control number 0938-0151); Frequency: Biennially; Affected Public: 
Private Sector--State, Local, or Tribal Governments; and Federal 
Government; Number of Respondents: 19,051; Total Annual Responses: 
9,526; Total Annual Hours: 4,763. (For policy questions regarding this 
collection contact Kathleen Todd at 410-786-3385.)

    Dated: November 24, 2014.
Martique Jones,
Director, Regulations Development Group, Office of Strategic Operations 
and Regulatory Affairs.
[FR Doc. 2014-28137 Filed 11-26-14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4120-01-P
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