9334 Federal Register / Vol. 73, No. 34 / Wednesday, February 20, 2008 / Notices 

respondents will have the option to 

complete the survey as a web-based 

electronic survey. Healthy People 2010 

(HP2010) is an important Federal 

initiative that establishes national 

health promotion and disease 

prevention goals. HP2010 represents the 

third of a series of publications by HHS 

that specifies ten-year health objectives 

for the nation. Its overarching goals are 

to increase the quality and years of 

healthy life and eliminate health 

disparities. 

HP2010 consists of 28 primary focus 

areas and 467 measurable health 

objectives designed to identify the most 

significant preventable threats to health 

and to establish public health priorities. 

The central theme of HP2010 focuses on 

the role of communities and community 

partnerships in promoting healthy 

living in the U.S. HP2010 is a powerful 

force in the effort to promote health and 

prevent disease in the U.S. The agenda 

reflects extensive consultation with over 

350 national organizations, 250 state 

agencies, health experts, and the public. 

HHS is eager to document the 

utilization of HP2010, and to seek input 

from key users on how the next iteration 

of the initiative, Healthy People 2020, 

could be improved to encourage greater 

involvement. This study will identify 

examples of effective strategies and 

approaches to using HP2010, and, 

where possible, the short-term results of 

those efforts. 

ESTIMATED ANNUALIZED BURDEN TABLE

Type of respondent Number of 

respondents 

Number of 

responses per 

respondent 

Average 

burden per 

response 

(in hrs) 

Total burden 

hours 

State Healthy People Coordinators (Frame A) ................................................ 51 1 15/60 13 

State Chronic Disease Program Directors (Frame A) ..................................... 51 1 15/60 13 

Local Health Organizations (Frame B) ............................................................ 300 1 15/60 75 

Tribal Health Organizations (Frame C) ........................................................... 100 1 15/60 25 

Total .......................................................................................................... 502 ........................ ........................ 126 

Dated: February 6, 2008. 

Terry Nicolosi, 

Office of the Secretary, Paperwork Reduction 

Act Reports Clearance Officer. 

[FR Doc. E8–3102 Filed 2–19–08; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4150–32–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: 

Technical Assistance for Health IT and 

Health Information Exchange in 

Medicaid and SCHIP. In accordance 

with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 

1995, 44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A), AHRQ 

invites the public to comment on this 

proposed information collection. 

DATES: Comments on this notice must be 

received by April 21, 2008. 

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 

e-mail at doris.lefkowitz@ahrq.hhs.gov 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Proposed Project 

‘‘Technical Assistance for Health IT and 

Health Information Exchange in 

Medicaid and SCHIP’’

AHRQ proposed a three year project 

to (1) assess the challenges facing 

Medicaid and State Children’s Health 

Insurance Programs (SCHIP) agencies 

nationwide as they plan and implement 

health information technology (health 

IT) and health information exchange 

(HIE) programs and (2) provide the 

agencies with technical assistance to 

help them overcome these challenges. 

Health IT refers to the set of electronic 

tools and methods used for managing 

information about the health and health 

care of individuals, groups of 

individuals, and communities. HIE 

refers to organized efforts at the local, 

state, or regional levels to establish the 

necessary policy, business, operating, 

and technical mechanisms and 

structures that allow, support, and 

promote the exchange of health care 

information electronically across 

organizations. Health IT and HIE hold 

great promise for improving the quality 

and efficiency of health care in the 

United States. Medicaid and SCHIP 

agencies, which receive federal and 

state funding, serve the most medically 

and financially vulnerable populations. 

More than sixty percent of Medicaid 

beneficiaries have one or more chronic 

or disabling diseases. In addition, 

Medicaid and SCHIP beneficiaries 

frequently experience gaps in eligibility 

for benefits that cause beneficiaries to 

seek care from multiple settings, which 

compromises the accuracy and 

completeness of their health care 

records. These populations have much 

to gain from the coordination of care 

that can be realized from the adoption 

of health IT and HIE. Furthermore, as 

the largest health care purchaser in the 

United States, Medicaid can influence 

the adoption of health IT and HIE by 

providers of care. However, Medicaid 

and SCHIP agencies face considerable 

challenges in the implementation of 

health IT and HIE (Alfreds ST, Tutty M, 

Savageau JA, Young S. Himmelstein J 

(2006–2007). ‘‘Clinical Health 

Information Technologies and the Role 

of Medicaid.’’ Health Care Financing 

Review Vol. 28, No. 2, pp. 11–20.). 

A needs assessment of the Medicaid 

and SCHIP agencies in all fifty six states 

and territories, including the District of 

Columbia, will be conducted to gauge 

the need for technical assistance. The 

needs assessment will be updated in the 

second year of the project to assure that 

the program of technical assistance that 

is developed will be of maximum utility 

to the Medicaid and SCHIP agencies. 

AHRQ will develop and provide a 

wide range of technical assistance 


rwilkins on PROD1PC63 with NOTICES
Federal Register / Vol. 73, No. 34 / Wednesday, February 20, 2008 / Notices 9335 

through workshops and web-based 

seminars to assist Medicaid and SCHIP 

agencies to adopt, implement and 

evaluate health IT and HIE to improve 

the quality of care for Medicaid and 

SCHIP beneficiaries. Based on the 

results of the needs assessment, 

workshops and web-based seminars, 

AHRQ will develop additional tools and 

resources, such as printed technical 

materials, to further facilitate the 

adoption of health IT and HIE among 

Medicaid and SCHIP agencies. 

Method of Collection 

The needs assessments will be 

conducted by telephone or in-person 

interviews with the directors of each 

Medicaid and SCHIP agency or with the 

persons designated by the director as 

most knowledgeable about their IT 

systems and planned or current health 

IT or HIE programs. The content of the 

needs assessment will be the same 

whether it is conducted by telephone or 

in person, and will be pre-populated to 

the extent possible with information 

gathered from other sources to reduce 

the burden on respondents, who can 

then simply verify that the information 

is correct. Workshop and seminar 

participants will be asked to complete a 

short evaluation of the material 

presented. 

Estimated Annual Respondent Burden 

Exhibit 1 shows the estimated 

annualized burden for this three-year 

project. The needs assessment will be 

conducted with an average of thirty 

agencies per year and will require 

approximately four hours and ten 

minutes per agency. Approximately 

seven workshops will be conducted 

each year with five agencies 

participating in each. The workshop 

evaluations will take approximately fifty 

minutes to complete. An average of ten 

web-based seminars will be conducted 

each year with twenty-five agencies 

participating in each. The seminar 

evaluations will take approximately 

twenty-five minutes to complete. The 

total annual burden for the respondents 

to provide the requested information is 

260 hours. 

Exhibit 2 shows the estimated 

annualized cost burden to the 

respondents for their time to provide the 

requested information. The total 

annualized cost burden is estimated to 

be $10,506. 

EXHIBIT 1.—ESTIMATED ANNUALIZED BURDEN

Data collection 

Number of 

respondents 

(agencies) 

Number of 

responses per 

respondent 

Average 

burden hours 

per 

response 

Total 

burden hours 

Needs Assessment .......................................................................................... 30 1 410/60 125 

Workshop evaluations ..................................................................................... 5 7 50/60 30 

.

Web-based seminar evaluations ..................................................................... 25 10 25/60 105 

Total .......................................................................................................... 60 na na 260 

EXHIBIT 2.—ESTIMATED ANNUALIZED COST BURDEN

Form name 

Number of 

respondents 

(agencies) 

Total 

burden hours 

Hourly wage 

rate 

Total cost 

burden 

Needs Assessment .......................................................................................... 30 125 40.41 $5,051 

Workshop evaluations ..................................................................................... 5 30 40.41 1,212 

Web-based seminar evaluations ..................................................................... 25 105 40.41 4,243 

Total .......................................................................................................... 60 260 ........................ 10,506 

* Based upon the mean hourly wage estimate for NAICS 999000—Federal, State, and Local Government (OES designation) occupation 11–

1021 General and Operations Managers, Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics. 

Estimated Annual Costs to the Federal 

Government 

The projected total cost to the Federal 

Government for this project is 

$2,990,592 over a three-year period. The 

projected annual average cost is 

$996,864. The projected annual cost to 

design and implement the needs 

assessment is $180,799. The projected 

annual cost to develop and implement 

with workshops is $271,254. The 

projected annual cost to develop and 

implement the seminars is $98,187. The 

projected annual cost to analyze the 

data and report findings is $132,005. 

The projected annual administrative 

cost is $41,973, and the projected 

annual cost for other technical 

assistance support is $272,645. 

Request for Comments 

In accordance with the above-cited 

Paperwork Reduction Act legislation, 

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 to be collected; 

and (d) ways to minimize the burden of 

the collection of information on he 

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: February 8, 2008. 

Carolyn M. Clancy, MD 

Director 

[FR Doc. 08–737 Filed 2–19–08; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4160–90–M 


rwilkins on PROD1PC63 with NOTICES