Notice2026-20361
Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; Comment Request
Primary source
Metadata and text below are from the Federal Register, a public-domain U.S. government work. Always verify the official published version before relying on it for any legal matter.
Published
October 5, 2026
Issuing agencies
Health and Human Services DepartmentAgency for Healthcare Research and Quality
Abstract
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 extension without change of the previously approved information collection project "Generic Clearance for the Collection of Qualitative Feedback on Agency Service Delivery" (0935- 0179). This information collection was previously published in the Federal Register on July 30, 2026, and allowed 60 days for public comment. AHRQ did not receive any comments. The purpose of this notice is to allow an additional 30 days for public comment.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 91 Issue 191 (Monday, October 5, 2026)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 91, Number 191 (Monday, October 5, 2026)]
[Notices]
[Pages 63278-63280]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2026-20361]
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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.
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SUMMARY: This notice announces the intention of the Agency for
Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) to request that the Office of
Management and
[[Page 63279]]
Budget (OMB) approve the extension without change of the previously
approved information collection project ``Generic Clearance for the
Collection of Qualitative Feedback on Agency Service Delivery'' (0935-
0179). This information collection was previously published in the
Federal Register on July 30, 2026, and allowed 60 days for public
comment. AHRQ did not receive any comments. The purpose of this notice
is to allow an additional 30 days for public comment.
DATES: Comments on this notice must be received by November 4, 2026.
ADDRESSES: Written comments and recommendations for the proposed
information collection should be sent within 30 days of publication of
this notice to <a href="http://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain">www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain</a>. Find this particular
information collection by selecting ``Currently under 30-day Review--
Open for Public Comments'' or by using the search function. 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: Margie Shofer, AHRQ Reports Clearance
Officer, 301-427-1696 or by email at
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#7a283f2a35282e2939363f3b283b34393f353c3c33393f283a1b12080b54121209541d150c"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="cf9d8a9f809d9b9c8c838a8e9d8e818c8a808989868c8a9d8faea7bdbee1a7a7bce1a8a0b9">[email protected]</span></a>.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Proposed Project
Generic Clearance for the Collection of Qualitative Feedback on Agency
Service Delivery
The information collection activity will garner qualitative
customer and stakeholder feedback in an efficient, timely manner, in
accordance with the Administration's commitment to improving service
delivery. By qualitative feedback we mean information that provides
useful insights on perceptions and opinions, but are not statistical
surveys that yield quantitative results that can be generalized to the
population of study. This feedback will provide insights into customer
or stakeholder perceptions, experiences, and expectations, provide an
early warning of issues with service, or focus attention on areas where
communication, training or changes in operations might improve delivery
of products or services. These collections will allow for ongoing,
collaborative and actionable communication between the Agency and its
customers and stakeholders. It will also allow feedback to contribute
directly to the improvement of program management. The current
clearance was approved on November 7, 2023 (OMB Control Number 0935-
0179) and will expire on November 30, 2026.
Method of Collection
Feedback collected under this generic clearance will provide useful
information, but it will not yield data that can be generalized to the
overall population. This type of generic clearance for qualitative
information will not be used for quantitative information collections
that are designed to yield reliably actionable results, such as
monitoring trends over time or documenting program performance. Such
data uses require more rigorous designs that address: (1) the target
population to which generalizations will be made; (2) the sampling
frame; (3) the sample design (including stratification and clustering);
(4) the precision requirements or power calculations that justify the
proposed sample size; (5) the expected response rate; (6) methods for
assessing potential nonresponse bias; (7) the protocols for data
collection; (8) and any testing procedures that were or will be
undertaken prior to fielding the study. Depending on the degree of
influence the results are likely to have, such collections may still be
eligible for submission for other generic mechanisms that are designed
to yield quantitative results.
Estimated Annual Respondent Burden
Exhibit 1 shows the estimated total burden hours for the
respondents. Mail surveys are estimated to average 15 minutes,
telephone surveys 40 minutes, web-based surveys 10 minutes, focus
groups two hours, and in-person interviews are estimated to average 50
minutes. Mail surveys may also be sent to respondents via email and may
include a telephone non-response follow-up. Telephone non-response
follow-up for mailed surveys does not count as a telephone survey. The
total annualized burden hours is estimated to be 1130 hours.
Exhibit 2 shows the estimated cost burden for the respondents. The
total annualized cost burden for the clearance is estimated to be
$75,800. This amount was incorrectly overstated on the 60-day Federal
Register Notice; the error was due to using the number of respondents
vs the number of burden hours for the estimate and estimating the
amount for three years of collection versus an annualized amount.
Exhibit 1--Estimated Annualized Burden Hours
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Number of
Type of information collection Number of responses per Hours per Total burden
respondents respondent response hours
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Mail/email *.................................... 1,667 1 15/60 417
Telephone....................................... 67 1 40/60 45
Web-based....................................... 1,667 1 10/60 278
Focus Groups.................................... 167 1 2.0 334
In-person....................................... 67 1 50/60 56
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Total....................................... 3,635 N/A N/A 1,130
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* May include telephone non-response follow-up, in which case, the burden will not change.
Exhibit 2--Estimated Annualized Burden Cost
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Adjusted Total cost burden
Total burden Average hourly average (total burden hours x
Type of information collection hours wage rate * hourly wage adjusted average hourly
rate ** wage rate)
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Mail/email............................. 417 $33.54 $67.08 $27,972
Telephone.............................. 45 33.54 67.08 3,019
Web-based.............................. 278 33.54 67.08 18,648
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Focus Groups........................... 334 33.54 67.08 22,405
In-person.............................. 56 33.54 67.08 3,756
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Total.............................. 1,130 33.54 67.08 75,800
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* Bureau of Labor & Statistics on ``Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2025'' for all occupations found at
the following URL: <a href="https://data.bls.gov/oes/#/area/0000000/2025">https://data.bls.gov/oes/#/area/0000000/2025</a> for the respondents.
** Adjusted Average Hourly Wage Rate is 200% of the average hourly rate. It is a fully loaded rate that includes
the benefit costs of respondents.
Request for Comments
In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act, 44 U.S.C. 3501-
3520, 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's health
care research and health care information dissemination functions,
including whether the information will have practical utility; (b) the
accuracy of AHRQ's estimate of burden (including hours and costs) of
the proposed collection(s) of information; (c) ways to enhance the
quality, utility and clarity of the information to be collected; and
(d) ways to minimize the burden of the collection of information 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 29, 2026.
Jeffrey Toven,
Executive Officer.
[FR Doc. 2026-20361 Filed 10-2-26; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4160-90-P
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