Request for Measures of Consumers' Assessment of Cultural Competency, 60711-60712 [06-8674]
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Federal Register / Vol. 71, No. 199 / Monday, October 16, 2006 / Notices
supervisors of those individuals, and
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f. To the National Archives and
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[FR Doc. E6–17069 Filed 10–13–06; 8:45 am]
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jlentini on PROD1PC65 with NOTICES
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VerDate Aug<31>2005
16:16 Oct 13, 2006
Jkt 211001
Request for Measures of Consumers’
Assessment of Cultural Competency
Agency for Healthcare Research
and Quality (AHRQ), DHHS.
ACTION: Notice of request for measures.
AGENCY:
SUMMARY: The Agency for Healthcare
Research and Quality (AHRQ) is
soliciting the submission of instruments
or items that measure patient
perspectives on the cultural awareness
of the healthcare professionals
providing care to those patients. This
initiative is in response to the need to
develop a new CAHPS cultural
competency survey. AHRQ is interested
in incorporating this survey into an
integrated set of carefully tested,
standardized survey questionnaires and
accompanying reports. The addition of
the CAHPS cultural competency
component to the set is intended to
empower consumers with quality of
care information while also encouraging
healthcare professionals to provide
culturally competent care. The survey
will be designed to assess the quality of
care and services provided by
healthcare professional in the context of
cultural competency.
Based on prior work, there are several
functional areas that the planned
instrument could assess such as: (1)
Patient-provider communication (e.g.,
providers give clear explanations,
patients feel that they get all the
information they need,), (2) respect for
patient preferences/shared decisionmaking (e.g., providers discuss pros and
cons of treatment options, providers
understand and takes into account
patient’s environment, family members
are appropriately included in
decisions), (3) experiences leading to
trust or distrust (e.g., providers treat
patients in a culturally sensitive or
insensitive manner that led to trust or
distrust), (4) experiences of
discrimination (e.g., providers or staff
treat patients with disrespect because of
a patients’ racial/ethnic backgrounds,
insurance type/status, lack of
proficiency in English), (5) language
access (e.g., availability of interpreter
services and translated materials), and
(6) alternative treatment (e.g., providers
PO 00000
Frm 00026
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
60711
are open to discussion about traditional
healers and remedies).
DATES: Please submit instruments or
individual items and supporting
information on or before November 15,
2006. AHRQ will not respond
individually to submitters, but will
consider all submitted instruments and
publicly report the results of the review
of the submissions in aggregate.
ADDRESSES: Submissions should include
a brief cover letter, copy of the
instrument or items for consideration
and supporting information as specified
under the Submission Criteria below.
Submissions may be in the form of a
letter or e-mail, preferably with an
electronic file as an e-mail attachment.
Responses to this request should be
submitted to: Anna Caponiti, Center for
Quality Improvement and Patient
Safety, Agency for Healthcare Research
and Quality, 540 Gaither Road,
Rockville, MD 20850, Phone: (301) 427–
1402, Fax: (301) 427–1341, E-mail:
anna.caponiti@ahrq.hhs.gov.
To facilitate handling of submissions,
please include full information about
the instrument developer or contact: (a)
Name, (b) title, (c) organization, (d)
mailing address, (e) telephone number,
(f) fax number, and (g) e-mail address.
Also please submit a copy of the
instrument or items for consideration
along with evidence that they meet the
criteria below. It would be appreciated
if each citation of a peer-reviewed
journal article pertaining to the
instrument includes the title of the
article, author(s), publication year,
journal name, volume, issue, and page
numbers where article appears, but all
of these details are not required.
Submitters must also provide a
statement of willingness to grant to
AHRQ the right to use and authorize
others to use submitted measures and
their documentation as part of a
CCAHPS-trademarked instrument.
This CAHPS instrument for patients’
perspectives on cultural competency of
healthcare professionals provision of
care will be made publicly available,
free of charge. Electronic submissions
are encouraged.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Anna Caponiti, at the address above.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background Information
The CAHPS program was initiated in
1995 to develop a survey and report on
consumers’ perspectives on the quality
of their health plans. Since that time,
the CAHPS program, in partnership
with the Centers for Medicare and
Medicaid Services (CMS) and others,
has expanded its scope and developed
E:\FR\FM\16OCN1.SGM
16OCN1
60712
Federal Register / Vol. 71, No. 199 / Monday, October 16, 2006 / Notices
jlentini on PROD1PC65 with NOTICES
consumer surveys and reports regarding
consumer perspectives on individual
clinicians, group practices, in-center
hemodialysis services, nursing homes
and hospitals. AHRQ determined that
the CAHPS team should develop a
survey to obtain consumer perspectives
on cultural awareness of healthcare
professionals.
The vision of the Agency for
Healthcare Research and Quality is to
foster health care research that helps the
American health care system provide
access to high-quality, cost-effective
services; be accountable and responsive
to consumers and purchasers; and
improve health status and quality of life.
The CAHPS program was developed as
a result of AHRQ’s vision. One of the
components missing from the current
measurement set is an assessment of
patients’ perspective on cultural
awareness of healthcare professionals.
Submission Criteria
Instruments submitted should focus
on patient perspectives on the quality of
care and services provided by
healthcare professionals in the context
of cultural awareness demonstrated by
those healthcare professionals.
AHRQ is interested in measures that:
(a) Capture patients’ experiences of
quality of received health care in the
context of healthcare professionals’
cultural awareness and (b) demonstrate
a high degree of reliability and validity.
Accordingly, each submission should
include, in addition to the name of the
pertinent instrument, domains
included, and the language(s) the
instrument is available in, the following
information: Evidence of cultural/cross
group comparability, if any; instrument
reliability (internal consistency, testretest, etc.); validity (content, construct,
criterion-related); response rates;
methods and results of cognitive testing
and field-testing as well as descriptions
of sampling strategies (including payer
type) and data collection protocols,
including such elements as mode of
administration, use of advance letters,
timing and frequencies of contacts.
Evidence addressing these criteria
should be demonstrated through
submission of peer-reviewed journal
article(s) or through the best evidence
available at the time of submission.
In addition, a list of where the
instrument has been fielded should also
be included in the submission.
Submission of copies of existing report
formats developed to disclose findings
to consumers and providers is desirable,
but not required. Additionally,
information about existing database(s)
for the instrument(s) submitted is
helpful, but not required for submission.
VerDate Aug<31>2005
16:16 Oct 13, 2006
Jkt 211001
Submitters’ willingness to grant to
AHRQ the right to use and authorize
others to use their instrument or item
and accompanying explanatory material
means that the CAHPS trademark will
be applied to a new instrument which
will combine the best features of the
submissions as well as any ideas that
may develop from reviewing them. It
also ensures free access to this
instrument and the instrument’s
supportive/administrative information.
AHRQ, in collaboration with CAHPS
grantees, will evaluate all submitted
instruments or items. As the CAHPS
instrument is constructed, one or more
items may be selected for use, either in
whole or in part, or modified, prior to
testing them. AHRQ will assume
responsibility for the final instruments
as well as any future modifications.
The final instrument will bear the
CAHPS trademark and it will be made
available without charge for use by all
interested parties. Submitters will have
relinquished ownership of any items
that appear in the final instrument.
However, item ownership will be
protected during testing of the survey.
As a matter of quality control, there will
be warnings that the CAHPS trademark
or identification may not be used if any
changes are made to the instrument or
final measure set without review and
permission of the Agency.
Dated: October 5, 2006.
Carolyn M. Clancy,
Director.
[FR Doc. 06–8674 Filed 10–13–06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4160–90–M
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND
HUMAN SERVICES
Agency for Healthcare Research and
Quality
Request for Measures of Consumers’
Health Information Delivery
Experiences
Agency for Healthcare Research
and Quality (AHRQ), DHHS.
ACTION: Notice of request for measures.
AGENCY:
SUMMARY: The Agency for Healthcare
Research and Quality (AHRQ) is
soliciting the submission of instruments
or items that measure how well health
plans, hospitals, clinicians, and group
practices address health literacy issues.
Based on a literature review and an
assessment of currently available
questionnaires, AHRQ identified the
need to develop a new health literacy
module of the CAHPS survey. The
intent of the planned module is to
examine patients’ perspectives on how
PO 00000
Frm 00027
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
well health information is
communicated to them by healthcare
professionals in greater detail than
before. The intent of the new module is
to provide information to health plans,
hospitals, clinicians, group practices,
and other interested parties regarding
quality of health information delivered
to patients.
Based on prior work, there are several
functional areas that the planned
instrument could address. These
include the clarity and usability of
provided health information related to:
(a) Preventive services (e.g., risk and
benefits of the service, explanation of
screening results; (b) health problems/
concerns (e.g., information on how to
stay healthy or prevent illness); (c)
treatment choices, instructions, or goals
(e.g., pros and cons of each treatment
option); and (d) medications (e.g.,
reason for taking medications,
instructions on how to take
medications, possible side effects).
AHRQ is especially interested in
measures of patients’ assessments of
written communications (e.g.,
instructions for self-care, health
promotion materials), and the use and
effectiveness of educational techniques
to ensure patient’s comprehension of
health information (e.g., allowing time
for questions, repeating information,
using visual aids, employing health
educators to review treatment plans and
follow-up). AHRQ is also interested in
measures that assess the quality of
services supporting health information
delivery such as language assistance
(e.g., availability and timeliness of
interpreter services, availability of
patient education materials in other
language), and administrative assistance
(e.g., assistance in completing medical
paperwork).
DATES: Please submit instruments or
individual items and supporting
information on or before November 15,
2006. AHRQ will not respond
individually to submitters, but will
consider all submitted instruments and
publicly report the results of the review
of the submissions in aggregate.
ADDRESSES: Submissions should include
a brief cover letter, a copy of the
instrument or items for consideration
and supporting information as specified
under the Submission Criteria below.
Submissions may be in the form of a
letter or e-mail, preferably with an
electronic file as an e-mail attachment.
Responses of this request should be
submitted to: Anna Caponiti, Center for
Quality Improvement and Patient
Safety, Agency for Healthcare Research
and Quality, 540 Gaither Road,
Rockville, MD 20850, phone: (301) 427–
E:\FR\FM\16OCN1.SGM
16OCN1
Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 199 (Monday, October 16, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 60711-60712]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 06-8674]
=======================================================================
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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
Request for Measures of Consumers' Assessment of Cultural
Competency
AGENCY: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), DHHS.
ACTION: Notice of request for measures.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) is
soliciting the submission of instruments or items that measure patient
perspectives on the cultural awareness of the healthcare professionals
providing care to those patients. This initiative is in response to the
need to develop a new CAHPS[supreg] cultural competency survey. AHRQ is
interested in incorporating this survey into an integrated set of
carefully tested, standardized survey questionnaires and accompanying
reports. The addition of the CAHPS[supreg] cultural competency
component to the set is intended to empower consumers with quality of
care information while also encouraging healthcare professionals to
provide culturally competent care. The survey will be designed to
assess the quality of care and services provided by healthcare
professional in the context of cultural competency.
Based on prior work, there are several functional areas that the
planned instrument could assess such as: (1) Patient-provider
communication (e.g., providers give clear explanations, patients feel
that they get all the information they need,), (2) respect for patient
preferences/shared decision-making (e.g., providers discuss pros and
cons of treatment options, providers understand and takes into account
patient's environment, family members are appropriately included in
decisions), (3) experiences leading to trust or distrust (e.g.,
providers treat patients in a culturally sensitive or insensitive
manner that led to trust or distrust), (4) experiences of
discrimination (e.g., providers or staff treat patients with disrespect
because of a patients' racial/ethnic backgrounds, insurance type/
status, lack of proficiency in English), (5) language access (e.g.,
availability of interpreter services and translated materials), and (6)
alternative treatment (e.g., providers are open to discussion about
traditional healers and remedies).
DATES: Please submit instruments or individual items and supporting
information on or before November 15, 2006. AHRQ will not respond
individually to submitters, but will consider all submitted instruments
and publicly report the results of the review of the submissions in
aggregate.
ADDRESSES: Submissions should include a brief cover letter, copy of the
instrument or items for consideration and supporting information as
specified under the Submission Criteria below. Submissions may be in
the form of a letter or e-mail, preferably with an electronic file as
an e-mail attachment. Responses to this request should be submitted to:
Anna Caponiti, Center for Quality Improvement and Patient Safety,
Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, 540 Gaither Road,
Rockville, MD 20850, Phone: (301) 427-1402, Fax: (301) 427-1341, E-
mail: anna.caponiti@ahrq.hhs.gov.
To facilitate handling of submissions, please include full
information about the instrument developer or contact: (a) Name, (b)
title, (c) organization, (d) mailing address, (e) telephone number, (f)
fax number, and (g) e-mail address. Also please submit a copy of the
instrument or items for consideration along with evidence that they
meet the criteria below. It would be appreciated if each citation of a
peer-reviewed journal article pertaining to the instrument includes the
title of the article, author(s), publication year, journal name,
volume, issue, and page numbers where article appears, but all of these
details are not required. Submitters must also provide a statement of
willingness to grant to AHRQ the right to use and authorize others to
use submitted measures and their documentation as part of a
CCAHPS[supreg]-trademarked instrument. This CAHPS[supreg] instrument
for patients' perspectives on cultural competency of healthcare
professionals provision of care will be made publicly available, free
of charge. Electronic submissions are encouraged.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Anna Caponiti, at the address above.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background Information
The CAHPS[supreg] program was initiated in 1995 to develop a survey
and report on consumers' perspectives on the quality of their health
plans. Since that time, the CAHPS[supreg] program, in partnership with
the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) and others, has
expanded its scope and developed
[[Page 60712]]
consumer surveys and reports regarding consumer perspectives on
individual clinicians, group practices, in-center hemodialysis
services, nursing homes and hospitals. AHRQ determined that the
CAHPS[supreg] team should develop a survey to obtain consumer
perspectives on cultural awareness of healthcare professionals.
The vision of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality is to
foster health care research that helps the American health care system
provide access to high-quality, cost-effective services; be accountable
and responsive to consumers and purchasers; and improve health status
and quality of life. The CAHPS[supreg] program was developed as a
result of AHRQ's vision. One of the components missing from the current
measurement set is an assessment of patients' perspective on cultural
awareness of healthcare professionals.
Submission Criteria
Instruments submitted should focus on patient perspectives on the
quality of care and services provided by healthcare professionals in
the context of cultural awareness demonstrated by those healthcare
professionals.
AHRQ is interested in measures that: (a) Capture patients'
experiences of quality of received health care in the context of
healthcare professionals' cultural awareness and (b) demonstrate a high
degree of reliability and validity. Accordingly, each submission should
include, in addition to the name of the pertinent instrument, domains
included, and the language(s) the instrument is available in, the
following information: Evidence of cultural/cross group comparability,
if any; instrument reliability (internal consistency, test-retest,
etc.); validity (content, construct, criterion-related); response
rates; methods and results of cognitive testing and field-testing as
well as descriptions of sampling strategies (including payer type) and
data collection protocols, including such elements as mode of
administration, use of advance letters, timing and frequencies of
contacts. Evidence addressing these criteria should be demonstrated
through submission of peer-reviewed journal article(s) or through the
best evidence available at the time of submission.
In addition, a list of where the instrument has been fielded should
also be included in the submission. Submission of copies of existing
report formats developed to disclose findings to consumers and
providers is desirable, but not required. Additionally, information
about existing database(s) for the instrument(s) submitted is helpful,
but not required for submission.
Submitters' willingness to grant to AHRQ the right to use and
authorize others to use their instrument or item and accompanying
explanatory material means that the CAHPS[supreg] trademark will be
applied to a new instrument which will combine the best features of the
submissions as well as any ideas that may develop from reviewing them.
It also ensures free access to this instrument and the instrument's
supportive/administrative information. AHRQ, in collaboration with
CAHPS grantees, will evaluate all submitted instruments or items. As
the CAHPS instrument is constructed, one or more items may be selected
for use, either in whole or in part, or modified, prior to testing
them. AHRQ will assume responsibility for the final instruments as well
as any future modifications.
The final instrument will bear the CAHPS[supreg] trademark and it
will be made available without charge for use by all interested
parties. Submitters will have relinquished ownership of any items that
appear in the final instrument. However, item ownership will be
protected during testing of the survey. As a matter of quality control,
there will be warnings that the CAHPS[supreg] trademark or
identification may not be used if any changes are made to the
instrument or final measure set without review and permission of the
Agency.
Dated: October 5, 2006.
Carolyn M. Clancy,
Director.
[FR Doc. 06-8674 Filed 10-13-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4160-90-M