Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; Comment Request, 58389-58393 [2012-23162]
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Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 183 / Thursday, September 20, 2012 / Notices
EXHIBIT 2—ESTIMATED ANNUALIZED COST BURDEN—Continued
Number of
respondents
Form name
Total
burden hours
Average
hourly wage
rate
Total
cost burden
Diabetes care SAQ ..........................................................................................
Authorization forms for the MEPS–MPC Provider Survey ..............................
Authorization form for the MEPS–MPC Pharmacy Survey .............................
MEPS–HC Validation Interview .......................................................................
2,345
14,489
14,489
4,781
117
3,767
2,246
398
21.74
21.74
21.74
21.74
2,544
81,895
48,828
8,653
Subtotal for the MEPS–HC .......................................................................
79,451
63,907
na
1,389,339
MPC Contact Guide/Screening Call ................................................................
Home care for health care providers questionnaire ........................................
Home care for non-health care providers questionnaire .................................
Office-based providers questionnaire ..............................................................
Separately billing doctors questionnaire ..........................................................
Hospitals questionnaire ...................................................................................
Institutions (non-hospital) questionnaire ..........................................................
Pharmacies questionnaire ...............................................................................
34,000
465
35
10,800
10,800
5,000
100
6,800
1,700
252
19
5,220
1,080
2,708
13
7,922
** 15.59
15.59
15.59
15.59
15.59
15.59
15.59
*** 14.43
26,503
3,929
296
81,380
16,837
42,218
203
114,314
Subtotal for the MEPS–MPC ....................................................................
68,000
18,347
na
285,680
Grand Total .......................................................................................
147,451
82,254
na
1,675,019
MEPS–MPC
* Mean hourly wage for All Occupations (00–0000).
** Mean hourly wage for Medical Secretaries (43–6013)
*** Mean hourly wage for Pharmacy Technicians (29–2052)
Occupational Employment Statistics, May 2011 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates United States, U.S. Department of
Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics. https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes_nat.htm#b29-0000.
Estimated Annual Costs to the Federal
Government
Exhibit 3 shows the total and
annualized cost of this information
collection. The cost associated with the
design and data collection of the MEPS–
HC and MEPS–MPC is estimated to be
$51,401,596 in each of the three years
covered by this information collection
request.
EXHIBIT 3—ESTIMATED TOTAL AND ANNUALIZED COST
Cost component
Total cost
Annualized
cost
Sampling Activities ...................................................................................................................................................
Interviewer Recruitment and Training .....................................................................................................................
Data Collection Activities .........................................................................................................................................
Data Processing ......................................................................................................................................................
Production of Public Use Data Files .......................................................................................................................
Project Management ................................................................................................................................................
$3,002,731
9,190,168
93,611,428
23,087,605
21,079,118
4,233,739
$1,000,910
3,063,389
31,203,809
7,695,868
7,026,373
1,411,246
Total ..................................................................................................................................................................
154,204,789
51,401,596
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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 healthcare
research and healthcare 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
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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: September 6, 2012.
Carolyn M. Clancy,
Director.
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Agency for Healthcare Research and
Quality
Agency Information Collection
Activities: Proposed Collection;
Comment Request
Agency for Healthcare Research
and Quality, HHS.
ACTION: Notice.
AGENCY:
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
SUMMARY:
[FR Doc. 2012–23163 Filed 9–19–12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4160–90–M
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND
HUMAN SERVICES
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Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 183 / Thursday, September 20, 2012 / Notices
information collection project: ‘‘CHIPRA
Pediatric Quality Measures Program
Candidate Measure Submission Form.’’
In accordance with the Paperwork
Reduction Act, 44 U.S.C. 3501–3521,
AHRQ invites the public to comment on
this proposed information collection.
This proposed information collection
was previously published in the Federal
Register on April 18th, 2012 and
allowed 60 days for public comment.
Two public comments were received.
The purpose of this notice is to allow an
additional 30 days for public comment.
DATES: Comments on this notice must be
received by October 22, 2012.
ADDRESSES: Written comments should
be submitted to: AHRQ’s OMB Desk
Officer by fax at (202) 395–6974
(attention: AHRQ’s desk officer) or by
email at
OIRA_submission@omb.eop.gov
(attention: AHRQ’s desk officer).
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:
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Proposed Project
Pediatric Quality Measures Program
Section 401(a) of the Children’s
Health Insurance Program
Reauthorization Act of 2009 (CHIPRA),
Public Law 111–3, amended the Social
Security Act (‘‘the Act’’) to enact section
1139A (42 U.S.C. 1320b–9a). Section
1139A(b) charged the Department of
Health and Human Services (HHS) with
improving pediatric health care quality
measures. Since CHIPRA was passed,
AHRQ and the Centers for Medicare &
Medicaid Services (CMS) have been
working together to implement selected
provisions of the legislation related to
children’s health care quality. An initial
core measure set for voluntary use by
Medicaid and Children’s Health
Insurance Programs (CHIP) was posted
December 29, 2009 (https://
www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2009-12-29/
html/E9–30802.htm). In February 2011,
CMS released a State Health Official
letter which outlined the initial core
measure set and how these measures
should be reported to CMS. The
Technical Specifications and Resource
Manual for the initial core measure set
for federal fiscal year 2011 reporting is
available at https://www.medicaid.gov/
Medicaid-CHIP-ProgramInformation/ByTopics/Quality-of-Care/Downloads/
InitialCoreSetResouceManual.pdf.
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As required by CHIPRA, by January 1,
2011, AHRQ and CMS established the
CHIPRA Pediatric Quality Measures
Program (PQMP) in accordance with
section 1139A(b)(1) of the Act to
enhance select children’s health care
quality measures and develop new
measures (https://www.ahrq.gov/chipra).
The PQMP is intended to develop
evidence-based, consensus measures to
improve the initial core set and increase
the portfolio of measures available to
other public and private purchasers of
children’s health care services,
providers, and consumers. HHS
anticipates that measures ultimately
included in the Improved Core Set will
also be used by public and private
purchasers to measure pediatric
healthcare quality. The PQMP consists
of the following:
(1) Seven Centers of Excellence (CoEs)
that are developing and/or enhancing
children’s health care quality measures
through cooperative agreements with
AHRQ in order to increase the portfolio
of measures available to the public and
private purchasers of children’s health
care services, providers and consumers
(https://www.ahrq.gov/chipra/
pqmpfact.htm);
(2) CHIPRA Coordinating and
Technical Assistance Center (CCTAC);
(3) Two CHIPRA quality
demonstration grantees (Illinois, a
partner to the Florida grantee, and
Massachusetts) funded by CMS to
undertake new quality measure
development as part of their grants
https://www.insurekidsnow.gov/
professionals/CHIPRA/grants
summary.html; and
(4) The Subcommittee on Children’s
Healthcare Quality Measures of the
AHRQ National Advisory Council on
Healthcare Research and Quality
(SNAC) that will review measures
nominated through a public call for
measures, as well as measures
developed or enhanced by the CoEs, and
make recommendations for an improved
core set of children’s health care quality
measures and other CHIPRA purposes
(https://ahrq.gov/CHIPRA/
qmsnaclist12.htm).
Section 1139A of the Act provides
that improved core sets of children’s
health care quality measures be
identified beginning January 1, 2013,
and annually thereafter, for voluntary
use by state Medicaid and CHIP
programs and other CHIPRA purposes.
AHRQ intends to solicit public
nominations for children’s health care
quality measures using a standard
measure nomination form in early 2013
and 2014. These solicitations will be
undertaken by AHRQ to identify
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children’s health care quality measures
for review by the SNAC.
Section 1139A(b)(2) of the Act
requires that the measures in the
improved core sets shall, at a minimum,
be:
(A) Evidence-based and, where
appropriate, risk adjusted;
(B) Designed to identify and eliminate
racial and ethnic disparities in child
health and the provision of health care;
(C) Designed to ensure that the data
required for such measures is collected
and reported in a standard format that
permits comparison of quality and data
at a State, plan, and provider level;
(D) Periodically updated; and
(E) Responsive to the child health
needs, services, and domains of health
care quality described in clauses (i), (ii),
and (iii) of subsection (a)(6)(A).
Hence, AHRQ, CMS and PQMP
developed a CHIPRA Pediatric Quality
Measures Program (PQMP) Candidate
Measure Submission Form (Attachment
A, hereinafter referred to as ‘‘CHIPRA
PQMP Candidate Measure Submission
Form’’). The CHIPRA PQMP Candidate
Measure Submission Form details the
desirable attributes of measures and
related definitions to provide
operational guidance as specified in
section 1139A(b)(2) of the Act. AHRQ
intends to use this CHIPRA PQMP
Candidate Measure Submission Form to
conduct a public call for measures early
in calendar years 2013 and 2014 to
solicit measures for consideration by the
SNAC for the respective 2014 and 2015
improved core sets of children’s health
care quality measures.
The goals of the CHIPRA PQMP
Candidate Measure Form are to:
(1) Solicit nominations for children’s
health care quality measures in early
2013 and 2014 through public calls for
measures, using a standardized data
collection form;
(2) Use the information provided
through the standardized data collection
form to support SNAC review of
children’s health care quality measures
nominated by the public and measures
developed by the seven CoEs; and
(3) Identify measures for improved
core sets of children’s health care
quality measures and for other CHIPRA
purposes.
The process for review of the
measures developed by the seven COEs
will be the same as that for publicly
nominated measures.
Respondents to these public calls for
measures in 2013 and 2014 are expected
to include pediatricians, researchers,
measure developers, and measure
stewards of children’s health care
quality measures.
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This project is being conducted by
AHRQ pursuant to AHRQ’s statutory
authority under Title IX of the Public
Health Service Act to conduct and
support research to improve health care
quality, and to fulfill a number of
requirements under Title IV of CHIPRA,
including requirements to identify
candidate measures for public posting of
an improved core set of children’s
health care quality measures by January
1, 2014 and January 1, 2015.
Method of Collection
To achieve the goals of this project,
AHRQ intends to solicit submission of
measures from the members of the
public using the CHIPRA PQMP
Candidate Measure Submission Form, a
standardized data collection tool. Data
collection using the CHIPRA PQMP
Candidate Measure Submission Form
will be adequate to achieve the goals of
the project. Below is an outline of the
type of data collected through the
CHIPRA PQMP Candidate Measure
Submission Form and description of the
information solicited from each
nominator pursuant to section
1139A(b)(2) of the Act.
1. Basic measure information
including: measure name, measure
description, measure owner, National
Quality Forum (NQF) identification
number (if applicable; i.e., if the
measure has been endorsed by NQF),
whether part of a measure hierarchy
(e.g., a collection of measures, a measure
set, a measure subset as defined at
https://www.qualitymeasures.ahrq.gov/
about/hierarchy.aspx), numerator
statement and numerator exclusions (as
appropriate), denominator statement
and denominator exclusions (as
appropriate), and data sources.
2. Detailed measure specifications:
Description of how a measure would be
calculated from appropriate data
sources.
3. Importance of the measure:
Description of how the measure meets
one or more of the following criteria for
importance, citing scientific literature
and providing references: evidence for
general importance of the measure
including potential for quality
improvement and reduction of
disparities in quality; health
importance/prevalence of condition;
health importance/severity and burden
(including impact on children, families
and societies); overall cost burden to
patients, families, public and private
payers, or society more generally
currently and over the life span of the
child; association of measure topic to
children’s current or future health; how
the underlying concept of the measure
changes in meaning and manifestation
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(if at all) across developmental stages;
importance to Medicaid and/or CHIP
program, including the extent to which
the measure is understood to be
sensitive to changes in Medicaid or
CHIP (e.g., policy changes, quality
improvement strategies), relevance to
Early Periodic Screening, Diagnosis, and
Treatment benefit in Medicaid and any
other specific relevance to Medicaid/
CHIP; and description of how the
measure complements or improves on
an existing measure in this topic area for
the child or adult population or if it is
intended to fill a specific gap in an
existing measure category or topic.
4. Measure Categories addressed by
the measure: CHIPRA asks that the
improved core set, taken together, cover
all settings, services, and topics of
health care relevant to children.
Moreover, the legislation requires the
core set to address the needs of children
across all ages including services to
promote healthy birth. Regardless of the
eventual use of the measure, nominators
will need to provide information on all
settings, services, measure topics, and
populations that a measure addresses.
5. Evidence or other justification for
the focus of the measure: The evidence
base for the focus of the measures
included in the January 1, 2014 and
January 1, 2015 improved core sets will
be made explicit and transparent; thus,
it is critical for nominations to specify
the scientific evidence or other basis for
the focus of the measure, including a
brief description of the evidence base or
rationale for the relationship between
the measure and a significant structure,
process, or outcome that influences
children’s health and health care.
6. Scientific soundness of the
measure: Explanation of methods to
determine the scientific soundness of
the measure itself, including results of
all tests of validity and reliability,
including description(s) of the study
sample(s) and methods used to arrive at
the results. Also, information on how
characteristics of the data system/data
sources may affect validity and
reliability of the measure.
7. Identification of disparities:
CHIPRA requires that quality measures
be able to identify disparities by race
and ethnicity, and be responsive to
domains of health care quality such as
socioeconomic status and special health
care needs. Nominations will provide
evidence (if available) from testing of
measures with diverse populations
(considering that diversity may include
race, ethnicity, special health care
needs, socioeconomic status, rural
populations, inner city populations, and
Limited English Proficiency populations
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58391
to assess measure’s performance for
disparities identification.
8. Feasibility: Description of the
measure’s feasibility, including:
availability of data in existing data
systems; opportunities/pathways for
implementation; extent to which the
measure has been used or is in use (or
has not been used), including settings in
which it has been used; data collection
methods that have been used; eligible
populations and results of testing in the
eligible populations, including an
estimation of the population size
required to gain adequate numbers of
observations for reliable comparisons,
such as estimates of the required
population sizes to gain adequate
numbers for stratification by race,
ethnicity, special health care need, and
socioeconomic status.
9. Levels of aggregation: CHIPRA
states that data used in quality measures
must be collected and reported in a
standard format that permits
comparison (at minimum) at State,
health plan, and provider levels.
Nominations will provide information
on all levels of aggregation at which the
measure is primarily intended to apply
e.g., State (Medicaid and CHIP
populations), health plan, hospital,
practice, provider, patient) and at which
the measure has been tested.
10. Understandability: CHIPRA states
that the core set should allow
purchasers, families, and health care
providers to understand the quality of
care for children. Nominations will
include a description of the usefulness
of the measure to purchasers, families,
and health care providers and present
results from efforts to assess the
understandability of the measure.
11. Health Information Technology:
Nominations will provide information
on health information technology (HIT)
that has been or could be incorporated
into the measure calculation.
12. Limitations of the measure:
Nominations will provide brief
description of any limitations of the
measure related to the attributes
included in the form.
13. Summary Statement: Nominations
will provide a summary rationale for
why the measure should be selected for
use, taking into account a balance
among desirable attributes and
limitations of the measure.
14. Identifying information for the
measure submitter: All nominations
will include contact information for the
measure submitter, including: a) Name,
b) Title, c) Organization, d) Mailing
address, e) Telephone number, and f)
email address. Further, all nominations
will include a written statement
disclosing the proprietary and/or
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confidentiality status of the measure
and full measure specifications, as
described in the Public Disclosure
Requirements. This statement must be
signed by the applicable rights holder(s)
or an individual authorized to act on its
behalf for each submitted measure or
instrument. If signed by an authorized
individual, the statement must describe
the basis for such authorization.
Submitters are encouraged to disclose
the terms under which the measure and
full measure specifications are currently
made available to interested parties—for
example, a standard license and/or
nondisclosure agreement, or a statement
describing the terms thereof. Should
HHS accept the measure for the 2014
and/or 2015 Improved Core Measure
Sets, full measure specifications for the
accepted measure will be subject to
public disclosure (e.g., on the AHRQ
and/or CMS Web sites). In addition,
AHRQ expects that measures and full
measure specifications will be made
reasonably available to all interested
parties.
15. Opportunity to upload
supplementary material: Nominations
will have opportunity to upload
attachments including graphics, tables,
diagrams, and any other supplemental
material. This information supports the
review of the measure.
16. Glossary of Terms: The glossary of
terms details the definitions for key
desirable attributes of measures in the
PQMP Candidate Measure Submission
Form.
The information resulting from this
data collection will be used to: (a)
Improve and strengthen the initial core
set of measures of health care quality
established under CHIPRA (https://
www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2009-12-29/
html/E9-30802.htm), (b) expand on
existing pediatric quality measures used
by public and private health care
purchasers, and (c) increase the
portfolio of evidence-based consensus
pediatric quality measures available to
public and private purchasers of
children’s health care services,
providers, and consumers.
All measures nominated by members
of the public will be reviewed by
members of the SNAC using the
categories of desirable attributes
detailed in the CHIPRA PQMP
Candidate Measure Submission Form.
The SNAC will make recommendations
to NAC which in turn will make
recommendations to the AHRQ Director
for consideration of select measures for
inclusion in the public posting of an
improved core set by January 1, 2014
and January 1, 2015 for voluntary use by
Medicaid and CHIP programs and other
CHIPRA purposes.
Estimated Annual Respondent Burden
Exhibit 1 shows the estimated
annualized burden hours for members
of the public who will nominate
measures through use of the online
CHIPRA PQMP Candidate Measure
Submission Form. We anticipate a
maximum of 75 nominations each year
with each nomination requiring 3.25
hours. The total burden is estimated to
be 244 hours annually.
Exhibit 2 shows the estimated
annualized cost burden for respondents’
time to complete the online submission
form for the public call for measures.
The total cost burden is estimated to be
$19,195 annually.
EXHIBIT 1—ESTIMATED ANNUALIZED BURDEN HOURS
Data collection
Number of
nominations
Number of
responses per
nomination
Hours per
response
Total
burden hours
CHIPRA PQMP Candidate Measure Submission Form ..................................
75
1
3.25
244
EXHIBIT 2—ESTIMATED ANNUALIZED COST BURDEN
Data collection
Number of
nominations
Total
burden hours
Average
hourly wage
rate*
Total
cost burden
CHIPRA PQMP Candidate Measure Submission Form ..................................
75
244
$78.67
$19,195
* Based upon the mean of the average wages for 29–1065 (Pediatricians, General), $78.67 per hour, National Compensation Survey: Occupational Wages in the United States, May 2009, U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics. Although the measure nominations will be
solicited from the general public, AHRQ is using the wage rate for pediatricians since our expectation is that respondents to the 2013 and 2014
public call for measures will primarily be pediatricians who will be measure developers or measure stewards of children’s health care quality
measures.
Estimated Annual Costs to the Federal
Government
Exhibit 3 shows the estimated total
and annualized cost over 3 years to the
government for conducting this project.
The total cost is estimated to be
$275,270.
EXHIBIT 3—ESTIMATED TOTAL AND ANNUALIZED COST
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Cost component
Total cost
Annualized
cost
Project Development ...............................................................................................................................................
Data Collection Activities .........................................................................................................................................
Data Processing and Analysis .................................................................................................................................
Publication of Results ..............................................................................................................................................
Project Management ................................................................................................................................................
Overhead .................................................................................................................................................................
$16,205
46,553
43,190
53,938
22,620
92,764
$5,402
15,518
14,397
17,979
7,540
30,921
Total ..................................................................................................................................................................
275,270
91,757
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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 healthcare
research and healthcare 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: September 6, 2012.
Carolyn M. Clancy,
Director.
[FR Doc. 2012–23162 Filed 9–19–12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4160–90–M
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND
HUMAN SERVICES
Agency for Healthcare Research and
Quality
Notice of Meeting
Agency for Healthcare Research
and Quality, HHS.
ACTION: Notice.
AGENCY:
In accordance with section
10(a)(2) of the Federal Advisory
Committee Act (5 U.S.C. App. 2),
announcement is made of an Agency for
Healthcare Research and Quality
(AHRQ) Special Emphasis Panel (SEP)
meeting on ‘‘AHRQ Patient Centered
Outcomes Research (PCOR) Pathway to
Independence Award (K99/ROC)’’
DATES: November 1, 2012 (Open on
November 1 from 8:00 a.m. to 8:30 a.m.
and closed for the remainder of the
meeting).
ADDRESSES: Hyatt Regency Hotel
Bethesda, One Metro Center, Bethesda,
MD 20814.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Anyone wishing to obtain a roster of
members, agenda or minutes of the nonconfidential portions of this meeting
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SUMMARY:
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should contact: Mrs. Bonnie Campbell,
Committee Management Officer, Office
of Extramural Research, Education and
Priority Populations, AHRQ, 540
Gaither Road, Room 2038, Rockville,
Maryland 20850, Telephone (301) 427–
1554.
Agenda items for this meeting are
subject to change as priorities dictate.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: A Special
Emphasis Panel is a group of experts in
fields related to health care research
who are invited by the Agency for
Healthcare Research and Quality
(AHRQ), and agree to be available, to
conduct on an as needed basis,
scientific reviews of applications for
AHRQ support. Individual members of
the Panel do not attend regularlyscheduled meetings and do not serve for
fixed terms or a long period of time.
Rather, they are asked to participate in
particular review meetings which
require their type of expertise.
Substantial segments of the SEP
meeting referenced above will be closed
to the public in accordance with the
provisions set forth in 5 U.S.C. App. 2,
section 10(d), 5 U.S.C. 552b(c)(4), and 5
U.S.C. 552b(c)(6). Grant applications for
‘‘AHRQ Patient Centered Outcomes
Research (PCOR) Pathway to
Independence Award (K99/R00)’’ are to
be reviewed and discussed at this
meeting. The grant applications and the
discussions could disclose confidential
trade secrets or commercial property
such as patentable material, and
personal information concerning
individuals associated with the grant
applications, the disclosure of which
would constitute a clearly unwarranted
invasion of personal privacy.
Dated: September 13, 2012.
Carolyn M. Clancy,
Director.
[FR Doc. 2012–23166 Filed 9–19–12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4160–90–M
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND
HUMAN SERVICES
Agency for Healthcare Research and
Quality
Notice of Meetings
Agency for Healthcare Research
and Quality (AHRQ), HHS.
ACTION: Notice of five AHRQ
subcommittee meetings.
AGENCY:
The subcommittees listed
below are part of AHRQ’s Health
Services Research Initial Review Group
Committee. Grant applications are to be
reviewed and discussed at these
meetings. These meetings will be closed
SUMMARY:
PO 00000
Frm 00040
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
58393
to the public in accordance with 5
U.S.C. App. 2 section 10(d),’5 U.S.C.
section 552b(c)(4), and 5 U.S.C. section
552b(c)(6).
DATES: See below for dates of meetings:
1. Health Care Research Training
Date: October 11–12, 2012 (Open from
8:30 a.m. to 8:45 a.m. on October 11
and closed for remainder of the
meeting)
2. Healthcare Effectiveness and
Outcomes Research
Date: October 16–17, 2012 (Open from
8:30 a.m. to 8:45 a.m. on October 16
and closed for remainder of the
meeting)
3. Health Systems and Value Research
Date: October 24, 2012 (Open from
8:30 a.m. to 8:45 a.m. on October 24
and closed for remainder of the
meeting)
4. Healthcare Information Technology
Research
Date: October 25, 2012 (Open from
8:30 a.m. to 8:45 a.m. on October 25
and closed for remainder of the
meeting)
5. Healthcare Safety and Quality
Improvement Research
Date: October 31, 2012 (Open from
8:30 a.m. to 8:45 a.m. on October 31
and closed for remainder of the
meeting)
The five meetings will take
place in the same location:
Hyatt Regency Hotel Bethesda,
One Metro Center,
Bethesda, MD 20814.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: (To
obtain a roster of members, agenda or
minutes of the non-confidential portions
of the meetings.)
Mrs. Bonnie Campbell, Committee
Management Officer, Office of
Extramural Research Education and
Priority Populations, AHRQ 540,
Gaither Road, Suite 2000, Rockville,
Maryland 20850, Telephone (301)
427–1554.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In
accordance with section 10 (a)(2) of the
Federal Advisory Committee Act (5
U.S.C. App. 2), AHRQ announces
meetings of the scientific peer review
groups listed above, which are
subcommittees of AHRQ’s Health
Services Research Initial Review Group
Committee. The subcommittee meetings
will be closed to the public in
accordance with the provisions set forth
in 5 U.S.C. App. 2 section 10(d), 5
U.S.C. 552b(c)(4), and 5 U.S.C.
552b(c)(6). The grant applications and
the discussions could disclose
confidential trade secrets or commercial
property such as patentable material,
and personal information concerning
ADDRESSES:
E:\FR\FM\20SEN1.SGM
20SEN1
]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 183 (Thursday, September 20, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 58389-58393]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-23162]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
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
[[Page 58390]]
information collection project: ``CHIPRA Pediatric Quality Measures
Program Candidate Measure Submission Form.'' In accordance with the
Paperwork Reduction Act, 44 U.S.C. 3501-3521, AHRQ invites the public
to comment on this proposed information collection.
This proposed information collection was previously published in
the Federal Register on April 18th, 2012 and allowed 60 days for public
comment. Two public comments were received. The purpose of this notice
is to allow an additional 30 days for public comment.
DATES: Comments on this notice must be received by October 22, 2012.
ADDRESSES: Written comments should be submitted to: AHRQ's OMB Desk
Officer by fax at (202) 395-6974 (attention: AHRQ's desk officer) or by
email at OIRA_submission@omb.eop.gov (attention: AHRQ's desk officer).
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
Pediatric Quality Measures Program
Section 401(a) of the Children's Health Insurance Program
Reauthorization Act of 2009 (CHIPRA), Public Law 111-3, amended the
Social Security Act (``the Act'') to enact section 1139A (42 U.S.C.
1320b-9a). Section 1139A(b) charged the Department of Health and Human
Services (HHS) with improving pediatric health care quality measures.
Since CHIPRA was passed, AHRQ and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid
Services (CMS) have been working together to implement selected
provisions of the legislation related to children's health care
quality. An initial core measure set for voluntary use by Medicaid and
Children's Health Insurance Programs (CHIP) was posted December 29,
2009 (https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2009-12-29/html/E9-30802.htm). In
February 2011, CMS released a State Health Official letter which
outlined the initial core measure set and how these measures should be
reported to CMS. The Technical Specifications and Resource Manual for
the initial core measure set for federal fiscal year 2011 reporting is
available at https://www.medicaid.gov/Medicaid-CHIP-ProgramInformation/By-Topics/Quality-of-Care/Downloads/InitialCoreSetResouceManual.pdf.
As required by CHIPRA, by January 1, 2011, AHRQ and CMS established
the CHIPRA Pediatric Quality Measures Program (PQMP) in accordance with
section 1139A(b)(1) of the Act to enhance select children's health care
quality measures and develop new measures (https://www.ahrq.gov/chipra).
The PQMP is intended to develop evidence-based, consensus measures to
improve the initial core set and increase the portfolio of measures
available to other public and private purchasers of children's health
care services, providers, and consumers. HHS anticipates that measures
ultimately included in the Improved Core Set will also be used by
public and private purchasers to measure pediatric healthcare quality.
The PQMP consists of the following:
(1) Seven Centers of Excellence (CoEs) that are developing and/or
enhancing children's health care quality measures through cooperative
agreements with AHRQ in order to increase the portfolio of measures
available to the public and private purchasers of children's health
care services, providers and consumers (https://www.ahrq.gov/chipra/pqmpfact.htm);
(2) CHIPRA Coordinating and Technical Assistance Center (CCTAC);
(3) Two CHIPRA quality demonstration grantees (Illinois, a partner
to the Florida grantee, and Massachusetts) funded by CMS to undertake
new quality measure development as part of their grants https://www.insurekidsnow.gov/professionals/CHIPRA/grants summary.html; and
(4) The Subcommittee on Children's Healthcare Quality Measures of
the AHRQ National Advisory Council on Healthcare Research and Quality
(SNAC) that will review measures nominated through a public call for
measures, as well as measures developed or enhanced by the CoEs, and
make recommendations for an improved core set of children's health care
quality measures and other CHIPRA purposes (https://ahrq.gov/CHIPRA/qmsnaclist12.htm).
Section 1139A of the Act provides that improved core sets of
children's health care quality measures be identified beginning January
1, 2013, and annually thereafter, for voluntary use by state Medicaid
and CHIP programs and other CHIPRA purposes. AHRQ intends to solicit
public nominations for children's health care quality measures using a
standard measure nomination form in early 2013 and 2014. These
solicitations will be undertaken by AHRQ to identify children's health
care quality measures for review by the SNAC.
Section 1139A(b)(2) of the Act requires that the measures in the
improved core sets shall, at a minimum, be:
(A) Evidence-based and, where appropriate, risk adjusted;
(B) Designed to identify and eliminate racial and ethnic
disparities in child health and the provision of health care;
(C) Designed to ensure that the data required for such measures is
collected and reported in a standard format that permits comparison of
quality and data at a State, plan, and provider level;
(D) Periodically updated; and
(E) Responsive to the child health needs, services, and domains of
health care quality described in clauses (i), (ii), and (iii) of
subsection (a)(6)(A).
Hence, AHRQ, CMS and PQMP developed a CHIPRA Pediatric Quality
Measures Program (PQMP) Candidate Measure Submission Form (Attachment
A, hereinafter referred to as ``CHIPRA PQMP Candidate Measure
Submission Form''). The CHIPRA PQMP Candidate Measure Submission Form
details the desirable attributes of measures and related definitions to
provide operational guidance as specified in section 1139A(b)(2) of the
Act. AHRQ intends to use this CHIPRA PQMP Candidate Measure Submission
Form to conduct a public call for measures early in calendar years 2013
and 2014 to solicit measures for consideration by the SNAC for the
respective 2014 and 2015 improved core sets of children's health care
quality measures.
The goals of the CHIPRA PQMP Candidate Measure Form are to:
(1) Solicit nominations for children's health care quality measures
in early 2013 and 2014 through public calls for measures, using a
standardized data collection form;
(2) Use the information provided through the standardized data
collection form to support SNAC review of children's health care
quality measures nominated by the public and measures developed by the
seven CoEs; and
(3) Identify measures for improved core sets of children's health
care quality measures and for other CHIPRA purposes.
The process for review of the measures developed by the seven COEs
will be the same as that for publicly nominated measures.
Respondents to these public calls for measures in 2013 and 2014 are
expected to include pediatricians, researchers, measure developers, and
measure stewards of children's health care quality measures.
[[Page 58391]]
This project is being conducted by AHRQ pursuant to AHRQ's
statutory authority under Title IX of the Public Health Service Act to
conduct and support research to improve health care quality, and to
fulfill a number of requirements under Title IV of CHIPRA, including
requirements to identify candidate measures for public posting of an
improved core set of children's health care quality measures by January
1, 2014 and January 1, 2015.
Method of Collection
To achieve the goals of this project, AHRQ intends to solicit
submission of measures from the members of the public using the CHIPRA
PQMP Candidate Measure Submission Form, a standardized data collection
tool. Data collection using the CHIPRA PQMP Candidate Measure
Submission Form will be adequate to achieve the goals of the project.
Below is an outline of the type of data collected through the CHIPRA
PQMP Candidate Measure Submission Form and description of the
information solicited from each nominator pursuant to section
1139A(b)(2) of the Act.
1. Basic measure information including: measure name, measure
description, measure owner, National Quality Forum (NQF) identification
number (if applicable; i.e., if the measure has been endorsed by NQF),
whether part of a measure hierarchy (e.g., a collection of measures, a
measure set, a measure subset as defined at https://www.qualitymeasures.ahrq.gov/about/hierarchy.aspx), numerator statement
and numerator exclusions (as appropriate), denominator statement and
denominator exclusions (as appropriate), and data sources.
2. Detailed measure specifications: Description of how a measure
would be calculated from appropriate data sources.
3. Importance of the measure: Description of how the measure meets
one or more of the following criteria for importance, citing scientific
literature and providing references: evidence for general importance of
the measure including potential for quality improvement and reduction
of disparities in quality; health importance/prevalence of condition;
health importance/severity and burden (including impact on children,
families and societies); overall cost burden to patients, families,
public and private payers, or society more generally currently and over
the life span of the child; association of measure topic to children's
current or future health; how the underlying concept of the measure
changes in meaning and manifestation (if at all) across developmental
stages; importance to Medicaid and/or CHIP program, including the
extent to which the measure is understood to be sensitive to changes in
Medicaid or CHIP (e.g., policy changes, quality improvement
strategies), relevance to Early Periodic Screening, Diagnosis, and
Treatment benefit in Medicaid and any other specific relevance to
Medicaid/CHIP; and description of how the measure complements or
improves on an existing measure in this topic area for the child or
adult population or if it is intended to fill a specific gap in an
existing measure category or topic.
4. Measure Categories addressed by the measure: CHIPRA asks that
the improved core set, taken together, cover all settings, services,
and topics of health care relevant to children. Moreover, the
legislation requires the core set to address the needs of children
across all ages including services to promote healthy birth. Regardless
of the eventual use of the measure, nominators will need to provide
information on all settings, services, measure topics, and populations
that a measure addresses.
5. Evidence or other justification for the focus of the measure:
The evidence base for the focus of the measures included in the January
1, 2014 and January 1, 2015 improved core sets will be made explicit
and transparent; thus, it is critical for nominations to specify the
scientific evidence or other basis for the focus of the measure,
including a brief description of the evidence base or rationale for the
relationship between the measure and a significant structure, process,
or outcome that influences children's health and health care.
6. Scientific soundness of the measure: Explanation of methods to
determine the scientific soundness of the measure itself, including
results of all tests of validity and reliability, including
description(s) of the study sample(s) and methods used to arrive at the
results. Also, information on how characteristics of the data system/
data sources may affect validity and reliability of the measure.
7. Identification of disparities: CHIPRA requires that quality
measures be able to identify disparities by race and ethnicity, and be
responsive to domains of health care quality such as socioeconomic
status and special health care needs. Nominations will provide evidence
(if available) from testing of measures with diverse populations
(considering that diversity may include race, ethnicity, special health
care needs, socioeconomic status, rural populations, inner city
populations, and Limited English Proficiency populations to assess
measure's performance for disparities identification.
8. Feasibility: Description of the measure's feasibility,
including: availability of data in existing data systems;
opportunities/pathways for implementation; extent to which the measure
has been used or is in use (or has not been used), including settings
in which it has been used; data collection methods that have been used;
eligible populations and results of testing in the eligible
populations, including an estimation of the population size required to
gain adequate numbers of observations for reliable comparisons, such as
estimates of the required population sizes to gain adequate numbers for
stratification by race, ethnicity, special health care need, and
socioeconomic status.
9. Levels of aggregation: CHIPRA states that data used in quality
measures must be collected and reported in a standard format that
permits comparison (at minimum) at State, health plan, and provider
levels. Nominations will provide information on all levels of
aggregation at which the measure is primarily intended to apply e.g.,
State (Medicaid and CHIP populations), health plan, hospital, practice,
provider, patient) and at which the measure has been tested.
10. Understandability: CHIPRA states that the core set should allow
purchasers, families, and health care providers to understand the
quality of care for children. Nominations will include a description of
the usefulness of the measure to purchasers, families, and health care
providers and present results from efforts to assess the
understandability of the measure.
11. Health Information Technology: Nominations will provide
information on health information technology (HIT) that has been or
could be incorporated into the measure calculation.
12. Limitations of the measure: Nominations will provide brief
description of any limitations of the measure related to the attributes
included in the form.
13. Summary Statement: Nominations will provide a summary rationale
for why the measure should be selected for use, taking into account a
balance among desirable attributes and limitations of the measure.
14. Identifying information for the measure submitter: All
nominations will include contact information for the measure submitter,
including: a) Name, b) Title, c) Organization, d) Mailing address, e)
Telephone number, and f) email address. Further, all nominations will
include a written statement disclosing the proprietary and/or
[[Page 58392]]
confidentiality status of the measure and full measure specifications,
as described in the Public Disclosure Requirements. This statement must
be signed by the applicable rights holder(s) or an individual
authorized to act on its behalf for each submitted measure or
instrument. If signed by an authorized individual, the statement must
describe the basis for such authorization. Submitters are encouraged to
disclose the terms under which the measure and full measure
specifications are currently made available to interested parties--for
example, a standard license and/or nondisclosure agreement, or a
statement describing the terms thereof. Should HHS accept the measure
for the 2014 and/or 2015 Improved Core Measure Sets, full measure
specifications for the accepted measure will be subject to public
disclosure (e.g., on the AHRQ and/or CMS Web sites). In addition, AHRQ
expects that measures and full measure specifications will be made
reasonably available to all interested parties.
15. Opportunity to upload supplementary material: Nominations will
have opportunity to upload attachments including graphics, tables,
diagrams, and any other supplemental material. This information
supports the review of the measure.
16. Glossary of Terms: The glossary of terms details the
definitions for key desirable attributes of measures in the PQMP
Candidate Measure Submission Form.
The information resulting from this data collection will be used
to: (a) Improve and strengthen the initial core set of measures of
health care quality established under CHIPRA (https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2009-12-29/html/E9-30802.htm), (b) expand on existing pediatric
quality measures used by public and private health care purchasers, and
(c) increase the portfolio of evidence-based consensus pediatric
quality measures available to public and private purchasers of
children's health care services, providers, and consumers.
All measures nominated by members of the public will be reviewed by
members of the SNAC using the categories of desirable attributes
detailed in the CHIPRA PQMP Candidate Measure Submission Form. The SNAC
will make recommendations to NAC which in turn will make
recommendations to the AHRQ Director for consideration of select
measures for inclusion in the public posting of an improved core set by
January 1, 2014 and January 1, 2015 for voluntary use by Medicaid and
CHIP programs and other CHIPRA purposes.
Estimated Annual Respondent Burden
Exhibit 1 shows the estimated annualized burden hours for members
of the public who will nominate measures through use of the online
CHIPRA PQMP Candidate Measure Submission Form. We anticipate a maximum
of 75 nominations each year with each nomination requiring 3.25 hours.
The total burden is estimated to be 244 hours annually.
Exhibit 2 shows the estimated annualized cost burden for
respondents' time to complete the online submission form for the public
call for measures. The total cost burden is estimated to be $19,195
annually.
Exhibit 1--Estimated Annualized Burden Hours
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Number of
Data collection Number of responses per Hours per Total burden
nominations nomination response hours
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
CHIPRA PQMP Candidate Measure Submission 75 1 3.25 244
Form.......................................
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Exhibit 2--Estimated annualized cost burden
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Number of Total burden Average hourly Total cost
Data collection nominations hours wage rate* burden
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
CHIPRA PQMP Candidate Measure Submission 75 244 $78.67 $19,195
Form.......................................
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
* Based upon the mean of the average wages for 29-1065 (Pediatricians, General), $78.67 per hour, National
Compensation Survey: Occupational Wages in the United States, May 2009, U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of
Labor Statistics. Although the measure nominations will be solicited from the general public, AHRQ is using
the wage rate for pediatricians since our expectation is that respondents to the 2013 and 2014 public call for
measures will primarily be pediatricians who will be measure developers or measure stewards of children's
health care quality measures.
Estimated Annual Costs to the Federal Government
Exhibit 3 shows the estimated total and annualized cost over 3
years to the government for conducting this project. The total cost is
estimated to be $275,270.
Exhibit 3--Estimated Total and Annualized Cost
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Annualized
Cost component Total cost cost
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Project Development..................... $16,205 $5,402
Data Collection Activities.............. 46,553 15,518
Data Processing and Analysis............ 43,190 14,397
Publication of Results.................. 53,938 17,979
Project Management...................... 22,620 7,540
Overhead................................ 92,764 30,921
-------------------------------
Total............................... 275,270 91,757
------------------------------------------------------------------------
[[Page 58393]]
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 healthcare research and
healthcare 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: September 6, 2012.
Carolyn M. Clancy,
Director.
[FR Doc. 2012-23162 Filed 9-19-12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4160-90-M
