General Testing of the CAHPS Hospital Survey (HCAHPS®), 24425-24426 [05-9179]
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Federal Register / Vol. 70, No. 88 / Monday, May 9, 2005 / Notices
applications and, in light of the results
of the competitive review, will
recommend applications for funding to
the ASH. The ASH may also solicit and
consider comments from Public Health
Service Regional Office staff and others
within DHHS in making funding
decisions. Final grant awards decisions
will be made by the ASH. The ASH will
fund those projects which will, in his/
her judgement, best promote the
purposes of this program, within he
limits of funds available for such
projects.
VI. Award Administration Information
1. Award Notices
The OPHS does not release
information about individual
applications during the review process.
When final decisions have been made,
successful applicants will be notified by
letter of the outcome of the final funding
decisions. The official document
notifying an applicant that a project has
been approved for funding is the Notice
of Grant Award (NGA), signed by the
OPHS Grants Management Officer,
which sets forth the amount of funds
granted, the terms and conditions of the
award, the effective date of the grant,
the budget period for which initial
support will be given, and the total
project period for which support is
contemplated. The ASH will notify an
organization in writing when its
application will not be funded. Every
effort will be made to notify all
unsuccessful applicants as soon as
possible after final decisions are made.
2. Administrative and National Policy
Requirements
In accepting this award, the grantee
stipulates that the award and any
activities thereunder are subject to all
provisions in 45 CFR parts 74 (nongovernmental) and 92 (governmental)
currently in effect or implemented
during the period of the grant.
A Notice providing information and
guidance regarding the ‘‘Governmentwide Implementation of the President’s
Welfare-to-Work Initiative for Federal
Grant Programs’’ was published in the
Federal Register on May 16, 1997. This
initiative was designated to facilitate
and encourage grantees and their
subrecipients to hire welfare recipients
and to provide additional needed
training and/or mentoring as needed.
The text of the Notice is available
electronically on the OMB homepage at
https://www.whitehouse.gov/omb.
The HHS Appropriations Act requires
that when issuing statements, press
releases, requests for proposals, bid
solicitations, and other documents
VerDate jul<14>2003
17:20 May 06, 2005
Jkt 205001
describing projects or programs funded
in whole or in part with Federal money,
grantees shall clearly state the
percentage and dollar amount of the
total costs of the program or project
which will be financed with Federal
money and the percentage and dollar
amount of the total costs of the project
or program that will be financed by nongovernmental sources.
3. Reporting Requirements
A successful applicant under this
notice will submit: (a) Progress reports;
(b) annual Financial Status Reports; and
(c) a final performance report, including
an evaluation report, and Financial
Status Report. Reporting formats are
established in accordance with
provisions of the general regulations
which apply under 45 CFR parts 74 and
92. Applicants must submit all required
reports in a timely manner, in
recommended formats and submit a
final report on the project, including
any information on evaluation results, at
the completion of the project period.
The final performance report should
contain an overview of the program
from start to finish, including
information on: (a) Summary of the
project, (b) state of the major goals and
objectives of the project, (c) list of
significant accomplishments, (d)
description of innovative features, (e)
statement of significant problems
encountered and solutions developed,
(f) a complete written disclosure of any
invention, curriculum, publication,
video, pamphlet conceived or produced
as part of the grant funded project, (g)
a copy of any products (e.g., videos,
pamphlets, journal articles,
presentations, survey instruments, focus
groups projects, pilot test reports, etc)
developed in association with the
project. The final evaluation report
should reflect an assessment of the
program. It should describe factors
contributing to both program success
and problem areas. The report should
include a description of the project’s
objectives, interventions, evaluation
model and hypotheses, findings and
conclusions. The report should include
a summary of the program statistics and
findings. It should discuss the
implications of project findings as they
relate to the project objectives, as well
as a set of recommendations based on
the findings (where appropriate). The
appendices to the evaluation report
should include any data collection
instruments and relevant references.
Copies of any published articles, based
on the project or project evaluation
findings are also requested.
Agencies receiving $500,000 or more
in total Federal funds are required to
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24425
undergo an annual audit as described in
OMB Circular A–133, ‘‘Audits of States,
Local Governments, and Non-Profit
Organizations.’’
VII. Agency Contacts
Office of Grants Management Contact:
Robin Fuller Department of Health and
Human Services, Office of Public Health
and Science, OPHS Grants Management
Office, 1101 Wootton Parkway, Suite
550, Rockville, Maryland 20852. E-mail:
rfuller@osophs.dhhs.gov; telephone:
301–594–0758.
Program Office Contact: Evelyn
Kappeler, Department of Health and
Human Services, Office of Public Health
and Science, Office of Population
Affairs, 1101 Wootton Parkway, Suite
750, Rockville, Maryland 20852. E-mail:
Ekappeler@osophs.dhhs.gov; telephone:
301–594–4001.
Dated: May 3, 2005.
Cristina V. Beato,
Acting Assistant Secretary for Health, Office
of Public Health and Science.
[FR Doc. 05–9149 Filed 5–6–05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4150–28–P
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND
HUMAN SERVICES
Agency for Healthcare Research and
Quality
General Testing of the CAHPS Hospital
Survey (HCAHPS)
Agency for Healthcare Research
and Quality (AHRQ), DHHS.
ACTION: Notice of request.
AGENCY:
SUMMARY: The Agency for Healthcare
Research and Quality (AHRQ) is
providing the opportunity for hospitals,
vendors, and other interested parties to
voluntarily test the 27-item Hospital
CAHPS (HCAHPS) instrument
suggested by the National Quality
Forum’s Review Committee. The
purpose of this project is to provide
another opportunity to the hospital
industry to use the revised draft of the
HCAHPS instrument with the option
to add items to the instrument, if
desired. It should be noted that the
HCAHPS instrument may undergo
further refinement prior to finalization
for the national implementation effort as
a result of the National Quality Forum
(NQF) Consensus process. In effect, this
project provides an occasion to test
items that survey vendors, hospitals,
and others wish to add to the HCAHPS
instrument and to evaluate the impact of
integrating HCAHPS into the
instruments currently being used, as
well as to try out and evaluate the
E:\FR\FM\09MYN1.SGM
09MYN1
24426
Federal Register / Vol. 70, No. 88 / Monday, May 9, 2005 / Notices
methods of data collection prior to
national implementation of HCAHPS.
After permission to use the
instrument is granted by AHRQ, a site
or sites may field the instrument until
the start of the ‘‘dry run’’ of the survey,
which is expected in the Summer/Fall
of 2005. As part of the dry run, hospitals
and vendors will begin collecting
HCAHPS data and transmitting it to the
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid
Services (CMS), but it will not be
publicly reported.
For more information about this
project or to download an application
for authorization, please visit the
CAHPS User Network Web site at http:
//www.cahps-sun.org.
DATES: Please submit requests on or
before June 8, 2005.
ADDRESSES: Requests for permission to
use the suggested 27-item HCAHPS
instrument, to add items, and field test
the instrument may be submitted either
in electronic format or a via facsimile
communication. Applications can be
sent in letter form, preferably with an
electronic file on a 31⁄2 inch floppy disk
as a standard word processing format or
as an e-mail with an attachment.
Responses should be submitted to:
Marybeth Farquhar, RN, MSN, Agency
for Healthcare Research and Quality,
Center for Quality Improvement and
Patient Safety, 540 Gaither Road,
Rockville, MD 20850, E-mail: hospitalcahps@ahrq.gov.
In order to facilitate handling of
submissions, please include full
information about the person requesting
permission for testing: (a) Name, (b)
title, (c) organization, (d) mailing
address, (e) telephone and fax numbers,
and (f) e-mail address.
Other requested information includes:
(a) List of the hospital in which
HCAHPS will be used (including city
and State); (b) sample size for each
hospital; (c) intended mode of
administration; (d) length of time after
discharge the initial contact with the
patient will be made; (e) name of vendor
(if any) that will be administering the
HCAHPS survey; (f) proposed dates for
fielding; (g) whether items will be added
to the HCAHPS survey and how many;
and, (h) a copy of the proposed
questionnaire (Additional Items should
be placed following HCAHPS question
22, and before the ‘‘About You’’ section
of the questionnaire). Electronic
requests are encouraged.
To help in the evaluation of the
suggested 27-item version of HCAHPS,
AHRQ and CMS are asking participants
to submit a brief summary of their
experience with administering the
HCAHPS survey, including sampling
VerDate jul<14>2003
17:20 May 06, 2005
Jkt 205001
and survey data collection procedures.
An analysis of the psychometrics of the
instrument should also be provided.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Marybeth Farquhar, Center for Quality
Improvement and Patient Safety,
Agency for Healthcare Research and
Quality, 540 Gaither Road, Rockville,
MD 20850; Phone: (301) 427–1317; Fax:
(301) 427–1341; E-mail:
mfarquha@ahrq.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
The Agency for Healthcare Research
and Quality (AHRQ) has been a leading
supporter of the development of
instruments for measuring patient
experiences within the healthcare
system of the United States. As the
research partner of the Centers for
Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS),
AHRQ is charged with the development
of a hospital patient experience of care
instrument as well as the development
of reporting strategies to maximize the
utility of the survey results.
The mutual goal of AHRQ and CMS
is to develop a standardized instrument
for use in the public reporting of
patients’ hospital experiences that is
reliable and valid, freely accessible, and
that will make comparative nonidentifiable information on patients’
perspectives on their hospital care
widely available. While there are many
survey tools available to hospitals, there
is currently no nationally used or
universally accepted survey instrument
that allows comparisons across all
hospitals. In response to, and at the
request of CMS, AHRQ under the
CAHPS II Cooperative Agreement with
three Grantee organizations developed
an initial instrument with input from
the various stakeholders in the industry.
The initial draft of the HCAHPS
instrument was tested as part of a CMS
three-State pilot by hospitals in Arizona,
Maryland, and New York. Based on an
analysis of the resulting data, the
instrument was revised and shortened.
Additional testing of the shortened
instrument was completed and AHRQ
presented its recommendations to CMS
in November 2004. In December, CMS
submitted the HCAHPS instrument to
the National Quality Forum (NQF) to
undergo the formal consensus process
required for endorsement. The
committee that reviewed the HCAHPS
survey and supporting materials
recommended the addition of two items
to the survey. The survey then went out
for comment by the NQF membership
and the public. The membership and
board vote on HCAHPS endorsement is
currently proceeding.
PO 00000
Frm 00061
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
Once the HCAHSP survey is
finalized, it will be posted on the AHRQ
and CMS websites for use by interested
individuals and organizations. Plans
have been made to make the HCAHPS
instrument available to the Hospital
Quality Alliance, which is a public/
private partnership that includes the
major hospital associations,
government, consumer groups,
measurement and accrediting bodies,
and other stakeholders interested in
reporting on hospital quality. In the first
phase of the partnership (which has
already begun), hospitals are voluntarily
reporting the results of their
performance on ten clinical quality
measures for three medical conditions:
acute myocardial infarction, heart
failure, and pneumonia. HCAHPS
reporting will comprise an additional
and differently focused phase of quality
of care measurement. For more
information or to participate in the
Quality Initiative, please visit https://
www.aha.org under ‘‘Quality and
Patient Safety, Quality Initiative,’’ or at
https://www.fah.org, under ‘‘Issue/
Advisories,’’ or at https://www.aamc.org
by going to ‘‘Government Affairs,’’
‘‘Teaching Hospitals’’ and then
‘‘Quality.’’
Dated: April 27, 2005.
Carolyn M. Clancy,
Director.
[FR Doc. 05–9179 Filed 5–6–05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4160–90–M
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND
HUMAN SERVICES
Agency for Healthcare Research and
Quality
Health Services Research Initial
Review Group Committee; Notice of
Meetings
In accordance with section 10(d) of
the Federal Advisory Committee Act as
amended (5 U.S.C., Appendix 2), the
Agency for Healthcare Research and
Quality (AHRQ) announces meetings of
scientific peer review groups. The
subcommittees listed below are part of
the Agency’s Health Services Research
Initial Review Group Committee.
The subcommittee meetings will be
closed to the public in accordance with
the Federal Advisory Committee Act,
section 10(d) of 5 U.S.C., Appendix 2
and 5 U.S.C. 552b(c)(6). Grant
applications are to be reviewed and
discussed at these meetings. These
discussions are likely to involve
information concerning individuals
associated with the applications,
including assessments of their personal
E:\FR\FM\09MYN1.SGM
09MYN1
]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 88 (Monday, May 9, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Pages 24425-24426]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-9179]
=======================================================================
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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
General Testing of the CAHPS Hospital Survey (HCAHPS[reg])
AGENCY: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), DHHS.
ACTION: Notice of request.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) is
providing the opportunity for hospitals, vendors, and other interested
parties to voluntarily test the 27-item Hospital CAHPS (HCAHPS[reg])
instrument suggested by the National Quality Forum's Review Committee.
The purpose of this project is to provide another opportunity to the
hospital industry to use the revised draft of the HCAHPS[reg]
instrument with the option to add items to the instrument, if desired.
It should be noted that the HCAHPS[reg] instrument may undergo further
refinement prior to finalization for the national implementation effort
as a result of the National Quality Forum (NQF) Consensus process. In
effect, this project provides an occasion to test items that survey
vendors, hospitals, and others wish to add to the HCAHPS[reg]
instrument and to evaluate the impact of integrating HCAHPS into the
instruments currently being used, as well as to try out and evaluate
the
[[Page 24426]]
methods of data collection prior to national implementation of
HCAHPS[reg].
After permission to use the instrument is granted by AHRQ, a site
or sites may field the instrument until the start of the ``dry run'' of
the survey, which is expected in the Summer/Fall of 2005. As part of
the dry run, hospitals and vendors will begin collecting HCAHPS data
and transmitting it to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
(CMS), but it will not be publicly reported.
For more information about this project or to download an
application for authorization, please visit the CAHPS User Network Web
site at http: //www.cahps-sun.org.
DATES: Please submit requests on or before June 8, 2005.
ADDRESSES: Requests for permission to use the suggested 27-item
HCAHPS[reg] instrument, to add items, and field test the instrument may
be submitted either in electronic format or a via facsimile
communication. Applications can be sent in letter form, preferably with
an electronic file on a 3\1/2\ inch floppy disk as a standard word
processing format or as an e-mail with an attachment. Responses should
be submitted to: Marybeth Farquhar, RN, MSN, Agency for Healthcare
Research and Quality, Center for Quality Improvement and Patient
Safety, 540 Gaither Road, Rockville, MD 20850, E-mail: hospital-
cahps@ahrq.gov.
In order to facilitate handling of submissions, please include full
information about the person requesting permission for testing: (a)
Name, (b) title, (c) organization, (d) mailing address, (e) telephone
and fax numbers, and (f) e-mail address.
Other requested information includes: (a) List of the hospital in
which HCAHPS[reg] will be used (including city and State); (b) sample
size for each hospital; (c) intended mode of administration; (d) length
of time after discharge the initial contact with the patient will be
made; (e) name of vendor (if any) that will be administering the
HCAHPS[reg] survey; (f) proposed dates for fielding; (g) whether items
will be added to the HCAHPS[reg] survey and how many; and, (h) a copy
of the proposed questionnaire (Additional Items should be placed
following HCAHPS question 22, and before the ``About You'' section of
the questionnaire). Electronic requests are encouraged.
To help in the evaluation of the suggested 27-item version of
HCAHPS[reg], AHRQ and CMS are asking participants to submit a brief
summary of their experience with administering the HCAHPS[reg] survey,
including sampling and survey data collection procedures. An analysis
of the psychometrics of the instrument should also be provided.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Marybeth Farquhar, Center for Quality
Improvement and Patient Safety, Agency for Healthcare Research and
Quality, 540 Gaither Road, Rockville, MD 20850; Phone: (301) 427-1317;
Fax: (301) 427-1341; E-mail: mfarquha@ahrq.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) has been a
leading supporter of the development of instruments for measuring
patient experiences within the healthcare system of the United States.
As the research partner of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
(CMS), AHRQ is charged with the development of a hospital patient
experience of care instrument as well as the development of reporting
strategies to maximize the utility of the survey results.
The mutual goal of AHRQ and CMS is to develop a standardized
instrument for use in the public reporting of patients' hospital
experiences that is reliable and valid, freely accessible, and that
will make comparative non-identifiable information on patients'
perspectives on their hospital care widely available. While there are
many survey tools available to hospitals, there is currently no
nationally used or universally accepted survey instrument that allows
comparisons across all hospitals. In response to, and at the request of
CMS, AHRQ under the CAHPS[reg] II Cooperative Agreement with three
Grantee organizations developed an initial instrument with input from
the various stakeholders in the industry. The initial draft of the
HCAHPS[reg] instrument was tested as part of a CMS three-State pilot by
hospitals in Arizona, Maryland, and New York. Based on an analysis of
the resulting data, the instrument was revised and shortened.
Additional testing of the shortened instrument was completed and AHRQ
presented its recommendations to CMS in November 2004. In December, CMS
submitted the HCAHPS instrument to the National Quality Forum (NQF) to
undergo the formal consensus process required for endorsement. The
committee that reviewed the HCAHPS survey and supporting materials
recommended the addition of two items to the survey. The survey then
went out for comment by the NQF membership and the public. The
membership and board vote on HCAHPS endorsement is currently
proceeding.
Once the HCAHSP[reg] survey is finalized, it will be posted on the
AHRQ and CMS websites for use by interested individuals and
organizations. Plans have been made to make the HCAHPS instrument
available to the Hospital Quality Alliance, which is a public/private
partnership that includes the major hospital associations, government,
consumer groups, measurement and accrediting bodies, and other
stakeholders interested in reporting on hospital quality. In the first
phase of the partnership (which has already begun), hospitals are
voluntarily reporting the results of their performance on ten clinical
quality measures for three medical conditions: acute myocardial
infarction, heart failure, and pneumonia. HCAHPS[reg] reporting will
comprise an additional and differently focused phase of quality of care
measurement. For more information or to participate in the Quality
Initiative, please visit https://www.aha.org under ``Quality and Patient
Safety, Quality Initiative,'' or at https://www.fah.org, under ``Issue/
Advisories,'' or at https://www.aamc.org by going to ``Government
Affairs,'' ``Teaching Hospitals'' and then ``Quality.''
Dated: April 27, 2005.
Carolyn M. Clancy,
Director.
[FR Doc. 05-9179 Filed 5-6-05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4160-90-M
