Notice2026-21985
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 28, 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 currently approved information collection "Questionnaire and Data Collection Testing, Evaluation, and Research for the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality" (OMB #0935-0124).
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 91 Issue 207 (Wednesday, October 28, 2026)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 91, Number 207 (Wednesday, October 28, 2026)]
[Notices]
[Pages 67834-67835]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2026-21985]
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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: Information collection 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 Budget (OMB) approve the extension without change of the
currently approved information collection ``Questionnaire and Data
Collection Testing, Evaluation, and Research for the Agency for
Healthcare Research and Quality'' (OMB #0935-0124).
DATES: Comments on this notice must be received by December 28, 2026.
ADDRESSES: Written comments should be submitted to: Margie Shofer,
Reports Clearance Officer, AHRQ, by email at
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#97c5d2c7d8c5c3c4d4dbd2d6c5d6d9d4d2d8d1d1ded4d2c5d7f6ffe5e6b9ffffe4b9f0f8e1"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="e6b4a3b6a9b4b2b5a5aaa3a7b4a7a8a5a3a9a0a0afa5a3b4a6878e9497c88e8e95c8818990">[email protected]</span></a>. 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#f6a4b3a6b9a4a2a5b5bab3b7a4b7b8b5b3b9b0b0bfb5b3a4b6979e8487d89e9e85d8919980"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="2674637669747275656a636774676865636960606f65637466474e5457084e4e5508414950">[email protected]</span></a>.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Proposed Project
The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) requests that
the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) approve the extension without
change of ``Generic Clearance for Questionnaire and Data Collection
Testing, Evaluation, and Research'' (0935-0124) for three years to
facilitate AHRQ's efforts to (1) employ evaluation-type methods and
techniques to improve AHRQ's current data collection and estimation
procedures, (2) develop new collections and procedures, including
toolkits, and (3) revise existing collections and procedures. The
current clearance expires on 3/31/2027.
AHRQ uses techniques to simplify data collection and estimation
procedures, reduce respondent burden, and improve efficiencies to meet
the needs of individuals and small business respondents who may have
reduced budgets and staff. AHRQ believes that developing, testing, and
evaluating data collection and estimation procedures using survey
methods and other techniques in anticipation of agency-sponsored
studies can improve its information collection efforts and the products
it develops and allow AHRQ to be more responsive to fast-changing
developments in the healthcare research field.
This clearance request is limited to research on data collections,
toolkit development, and estimation procedures and reports and does not
extend to the collection of data for public release or policy
formation.
This generic clearance will allow AHRQ to draft and test toolkits,
survey instruments and other data collection and estimation procedures
more quickly and with greater lead time, thereby managing project time
more efficiently and improving the quality of the data AHRQ collects.
In some instances, the ability to test and evaluate toolkits, data
collection and estimation procedures in anticipation of work or early
in a project may result in the decision not to proceed with additional
activities, thereby saving both public and private resources and
effectively eliminating respondent burden.
Many of the tools AHRQ develops are made available to the private
sector to assist in improving health care quality. The health and
health care environment changes rapidly and requires a quick response
from AHRQ to provide refined tools. This generic clearance will
facilitate AHRQ's response to this changing environment.
These preliminary research activities will not be used by AHRQ to
regulate or sanction its customers. They will be entirely voluntary,
and the confidentiality of respondents and their responses will be
preserved.
Proposed Revisions
No revisions to the currently approved package are being proposed.
Method of Collection
The information collected through preliminary research activities
will be used by AHRQ to employ techniques to (1) improve AHRQ's current
data collection and estimation procedures, (2) develop new collections
and procedures, including toolkits, and/or (3) revise existing
collections and procedures in anticipation or in response to changes in
the health or health care field. The end result will be improvement in
AHRQ's data collections and procedures, and the quality of data
collected, a reduction or minimization of respondent burden, increased
agency efficiency, and improved responsiveness to the public.
Estimated Annual Respondent Burden
Exhibit 1 shows the estimated annual burden hours for the
respondents' time to participate in the research activities that may be
conducted under this generic clearance. Mail surveys will be conducted
with about 2,000 respondents per year and are estimated to average 20
minutes. Mail surveys may also be sent to respondents via email
[[Page 67835]]
and may include a telephone non-response follow-up. Telephone non-
response follow-up for mailed surveys is not counted as a telephone
survey in Exhibit 1. About 200 people will participate in telephone
surveys that will take about 40 minutes. Web-based surveys will be
conducted with about 1,000 people and will require about 10 minutes to
complete. About 500 people will participate in focus groups which may
last about two hours, while in-person interviews will be conducted with
about 200 people and will take about 1 hour to complete. Automated data
collection will be conducted for about 500 people and could take about
1 hour. Cognitive testing will be conducted with about 200 persons and
is estimated to take 1\1/2\ hours to complete. The total annual burden
hours is 2,967.
Exhibit 2 shows the estimated annual cost burden associated with
respondent's time to participate in these research activities. The
adjusted annual cost burden is estimated to be $310,111.
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 *.................................... 2,000 1 20/60 667
Telephone....................................... 200 1 40/60 133
Web-based....................................... 1,000 1 10/60 167
Focus Groups.................................... 500 1 2.0 1000
In-person....................................... 200 1 1.0 200
Automated **.................................... 500 1 1.0 500
Cognitive Testing ***........................... 200 1 1.5 300
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Totals...................................... 4,600 N/A N/A 2,967
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* May include telephone non-response follow-up in which case the burden will not change.
** May include testing of database software, CAPI software or other automated technologies.
*** May include cognitive interviews for questionnaire or toolkit development, or ``think aloud'' testing of
prototype websites.
Exhibit 2--Estimated Annualized Burden Costs
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Adjusted
Type of information collection Total burden Average hourly hourly wage Total adjusted
hours wage rate * rate ** cost burden
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Mail/email...................................... 667 $52.26 $104.52 $69,715
Telephone....................................... 133 52.26 104.52 13,901
Web-based....................................... 167 52.26 104.52 17,455
Focus Groups.................................... 1000 52.26 104.52 104,520
In-person....................................... 200 52.26 104.52 20,904
Automated....................................... 500 52.26 104.52 52,260
Cognitive Testing............................... 300 52.26 104.52 31,356
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Total....................................... 2,967 N/A N/A 310,111
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* U.S. Bureau of Labor & Statistics ``Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2025'' found at the following URL--
<a href="https://data.bls.gov/oes/#/area/0000000/2025">https://data.bls.gov/oes/#/area/0000000/2025</a>. Occupation series ``Healthcare practitioners and technical
occupations'' (29-0000) was used for estimated average hourly wages in these calculations.
** Adjusted Average Hourly 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: October 23, 2026.
Jeffrey Toven,
Executive Officer.
[FR Doc. 2026-21985 Filed 10-27-26; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4160-90-P
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