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[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 18 (Monday, January 28, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 5805-5807]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-01342]

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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.

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[[Page 5806]]

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: ``Evaluating the Knowledge and Educational Needs of Students 
of Health Professions on Patient-Centered Outcomes Research.'' 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 March 29, 2013.

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

Evaluating the Knowledge and Educational Needs of Students of Health 
Professions on Patient-Centered Outcomes Research

    AHRQ's Effective Health Care Program, which was authorized by 
Section 1013 of the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement and 
Modernization Act of 2003, 42 U.S.C. 299b-7, is the Federal 
Government's first program to conduct patient-centered outcomes 
research (PCOR) and share the findings with the public. PCOR is 
research that assesses the benefits and harms of preventive, 
diagnostic, therapeutic, palliative or health delivery system 
interventions. This research helps clinicians, patients and other 
caregivers make decisions about health care choices by highlighting 
comparisons and outcomes that matter to people, such as survival, 
function, symptoms, and health related quality of life. The Program 
funds individual researchers, research centers, and academic 
organizations to work together with the Agency to produce effectiveness 
and comparative effectiveness research.
    The Effective Health Care Program also translates research findings 
into a variety of products for diverse stakeholders. These products 
include summary guides for clinicians, patients/consumers, and policy-
makers, continuing education modules and faculty slide sets for 
clinicians, patient decision aids, and audio and video podcasts.
    Most of the PCOR materials and translation products that are 
currently available are designed to help practicing clinicians, 
consumers/patients, and policymakers in making important decisions 
about health care. AHRQ recognizes the importance of insuring that 
clinicians in training are also exposed to PCOR and that they fully 
understand their role and value in shared clinical decision making. 
AHRQ and the Effective Health Care Program have started developing some 
tools, such as faculty slide sets based on comparative effectiveness 
reviews of the literature, to reach this audience through traditional 
clinical curricula. However, exposure to PCOR may occur and even be 
more effective in more non-traditional extracurricular settings, such 
as special interest projects created and sponsored by student groups or 
even Web-based events involving social media.
    This evaluation study addresses AHRQ's need for a report to inform 
strategic planning for dissemination and educational activities 
targeted to clinicians in training. The evaluation is intended to 
assess students' and faculties' needs and preferences for integrating 
PCOR into the health professions' curricula, learning environment, and 
other training opportunities through a series of structured interviews 
with selected faculty members and an online survey directed at students 
in the health professions. The outcome will be a roadmap, which will 
include a set of recommendations for strategies and tools for 
educational and dissemination activities, along with a suggested 
approach and timeline for implementation of the recommendations. The 
recommendations will inform AHRQ's strategic plan for future efforts 
which will engage and develop information and materials for the health 
professions student audience.
    The goals of this project are to:
    (1) Understand the extent to which PCOR is currently integrated 
into the curriculum and how it is disseminated to students in the 
health professions.
    (2) Understand health professions students' attitudes toward and 
knowledge of PCOR.
    (3) Explore differences in health professions student experiences 
with PCOR by health profession.
    (4) Identify informational and training needs and preferences of 
health professions students in primary care-oriented training programs.
    This study is being conducted by AHRQ through its contractor, James 
Bell Associates, pursuant to (1) 42 U.S.C. 299b-7, (2) AHRQ's authority 
to conduct and support research on healthcare and on systems for the 
delivery of such care, including activities with respect to the 
quality, effectiveness, efficiency, appropriateness and value of 
healthcare services, 42 U.S.C. 299a(a)(1), and (3) AHRQ's authority to 
support the synthesis and dissemination of available scientific 
evidence for use by patients, consumers, practitioners, providers, 
purchasers, policy makers, and educators, 42 U.S.C. 299(b)(2).

Method of Collection

    To achieve these goals the following data collections will be 
implemented:
    (1) Student Survey. The purpose of the survey is to assess health 
professions students' attitudes toward and knowledge of PCOR, the 
extent to which they value PCOR, what they would like to know, and how 
they would prefer to receive this information now and as they move into 
clinical practice.
    (2) Faculty Interview. The faculty interview will focus on gaining 
an understanding of where PCOR fits into the current curriculum for 
each health professions field; how both the philosophy and substantive 
findings of PCOR information are disseminated to instructors and 
subsequently to students; and perceived gaps and suggested strategies 
for filling these gaps.
    Data will be gathered through structured interviews of faculty in 
health professions programs and a broad web-based survey of a cross-
section of health professions students. The outcome from the project 
will be used immediately and directly by AHRQ's Office of 
Communications and Knowledge Transfer (OCKT) staff to guide strategic 
planning for addressing the educational needs of health professions 
students. Subsequent activities may include, but are not limited to, 
modifying specific information about PCOR and developing novel 
approaches to providing information on PCOR as determined by the 
student survey responses. This information will also help guide the 
determination of the AHRQ OCKT resource needs.

Estimated Annual Respondent Burden

    Exhibit 1 shows the estimated annualized burden hours for the 
respondents' time to participate in this research. Faculty interviews 
will be conducted with 24 faculty members and

[[Page 5807]]

will last about one hour. The student survey will include 1,800 
students and takes 10 minutes to complete. The total burden is 
estimated to be 324 hours annually.
    Exhibit 2 shows the estimated annualized cost burden associated 
with the respondents' time to participate in this research. The total 
cost burden is estimated to be $4,790 annually.

                                  Exhibit 1--Estimated Annualized Burden Hours
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                                                                     Number of
                    Form name                        Number of     responses per     Hours per         Total
                                                    respondents     respondent       response
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Faculty Interview...............................              24               1               1              24
Student Survey..................................           1,800               1           10/60             300
                                                 ----------------                                ---------------
    Total.......................................           1,824              Na              Na             324
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                                   Exhibit 2--Estimated Annualized Cost Burden
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                                                     Number of     Total burden   Average hourly    Total cost
                    Form name                       respondents        hours        wage rate *       burden
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Faculty Interview...............................              24              24          $47.70          $1,145
Student Survey..................................           1,800             300           12.15           3,645
                                                 --------------------------------                ---------------
    Total.......................................           1,824             324              Na           4,790
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* Based on the mean wages for Health Specialties Teachers, Postsecondary (25-1071; 47.70/hour) and Teacher
  Assistants (25-9041; $12.15/hour. Many of the students will be teaching and research assistants, making this
  the best occupational code for them), National Compensation Survey: Occupational wages in the United States
  May 2011, ``U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics.'' http://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes_nat.htm#25-0000.

Estimated Annual Costs to the Federal Government

    Exhibit 3 shows the total and annualized cost to the Federal 
Government for conducting this research. The total cost to the Federal 
Government is $683,335. The total annualized cost is estimated to be 
approximately $341,667. The total annual costs include the 
questionnaire development, administration, analysis, and study 
management.

             Exhibit 3--Estimated Total and Annualized Cost
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                                                            Annualized
             Cost component                 Total cost         cost
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Project Development.....................        $144,707         $72,353
Data Collection Activities..............         283,667         141,833
Data Processing and Analysis............         135,523          67,762
Publication of Results..................           9,012           4,506
Project Management......................          65,722          32,861
Overhead................................          44,704          22,352
                                         -------------------------------
    Total...............................         683,335         341,667
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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.

    Dated: January 16, 2013.
Carolyn M. Clancy,
Director.
[FR Doc. 2013-01342 Filed 1-25-13; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4160-90-M
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