The Agency for Healthcare Research and
Quality (AHRQ) requests that the Office of Management and Budget
(OMB) renew under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 AHRQ’s
Generic Clearance to collect information from users of work
products and services initiated by AHRQ’s John M. Eisenberg Center
for Clinical Decisions and Communications Science (Eisenberg
Center). The Eisenberg Center is an innovative effort aimed at
improving communication of findings to a variety of audiences
(“customers”), including consumers, clinicians, and health care
policymakers. The Eisenberg Center compiles research results into a
variety of useful formats for customer stakeholders. This research
has the following goals: 1) Conduct research into effective
communication of research findings in order to improve the
usability and rapid incorporation of findings into medical practice
and decision making. 2) Conduct research into effective strategies
for disseminating evidence-based products, tools, and resources to
consumers, clinicians, and other health care professionals, and
policymakers. 3) Evaluate outcomes reported by clinicians and other
healthcare professionals resulting from participation in continuing
medical education (CME) initiatives and activities. 4) Conduct
research into factors associated with successful collaboration
between AHRQ and partnering institutions and organizations in
synthesizing, translating, and disseminating evidence-based
research. Clearance is being requested to cover a three-year period
in which differing numbers of products and research activities may
be conducted during each year. The collections proposed include
activities to assist in the development of materials to be
disseminated through the Eisenberg Center and to provide feedback
to AHRQ on the extent to which these products meet customer needs.
These materials include summary documents that summarize and
translate the findings of research reports for various
decision-making audiences, such as consumers, clinicians, or
policymakers. The summaries are designed to help these decision
makers use research evidence to maximize the benefits of health
care, minimize harm, and optimize the use of health care resources.
In addition, each year, a unique research project will be
undertaken to study successful approaches to disseminating AHRQ
products in various health care settings and clinical environments.
Also, each year the Eisenberg Center will develop one interactive
decision aid for clinical problems identified from selected
research reports. The intent is for the decision aid to increase
the customer’s knowledge of the health condition, options, and
risk/benefits; lead to greater assurance in making a decision;
increase the congruence between values and choices; and enhance
involvement in the decision making process. Information collections
conducted under this generic clearance are not required by
regulation and will not be used to regulate or sanction customers.
Data collections will be entirely voluntary, and information
provided by respondents will be combined and summarized so that no
individually identifiable information will be released. The data
collections listed below will be implemented to achieve project
goals. Note: Assessments such as interviews and surveys are here
denoted formative if conducted prior to product development or
determination of dissemination channels; usability testing or
pretesting if conducted while reviewing a draft product, proposed
dissemination approach, or other proposed content/strategy; and
evaluation if conducted for summative evaluation or to assess
satisfaction after the product has been in use or the dissemination
campaign, learning activity, or other initiative
undertaken.
US Code:
42
USC 299 Name of Law: Healthcare Research and Quality Act of
1999
Although AHRQ has requested
Clearances from the Office of Management and Budget in the past,
the present burden hour request is based on a new contract that
includes both (a) product development, dissemination, research, and
evaluation tasks identical to those submitted previously yet with
greater numbers of products developed, and (b) new projects that
have not been reviewed and approved by the Office of Management and
Budget. In addition, the proposed work significantly expands the
number of products for which CME credit is offered to clinicians,
both in this country and abroad, with up to 500 CME participants
completing an outcomes assessment survey per CME activity (54
activities across the 3 years). However, the burden associated with
each respondent is modest: about 5 minutes to complete the brief
survey. Additionally, the current proposal assumes up to two rounds
of data collection associated with the usability testing of 47
products per year. Although this significantly increases the total
burden hour estimate, in reality there will be very few
circumstances in which a second round of usability testing
interviews will be required.
On behalf of this Federal agency, I certify that
the collection of information encompassed by this request complies
with 5 CFR 1320.9 and the related provisions of 5 CFR
1320.8(b)(3).
The following is a summary of the topics, regarding
the proposed collection of information, that the certification
covers:
(i) Why the information is being collected;
(ii) Use of information;
(iii) Burden estimate;
(iv) Nature of response (voluntary, required for a
benefit, or mandatory);
(v) Nature and extent of confidentiality; and
(vi) Need to display currently valid OMB control
number;
If you are unable to certify compliance with any of
these provisions, identify the item by leaving the box unchecked
and explain the reason in the Supporting Statement.