SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Proposed Project

In 2007, AHRQ developed a systematic method for its grantees to report project progress, and important preliminary findings called the Grants Reporting System (GRS). In 2008, GRS was renamed AHRQ Research Reporting System (ARRS) and in addition to reporting on grant progress, also supported reporting on jobs created under contracts pursuant to the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. ARRS is still being used to track grant progress and may also support administrative progress reporting for AHRQ-funded research activities conducted under contracts and challenge competition awards, as applicable. Such information may be entered by award recipients, contractors, or authorized AHRQ officials, as appropriate. ARRS is no longer used for contract job creation.

The system addressed the shortfalls in the previous reporting process and established a consistent and comprehensive reporting solution for AHRQ. The ARRS provides a centralized repository of AHRQ-supported research progress and administrative project information across grants, and where applicable, research contracts and challenge competition awards, that can be used to support initiatives within the Agency. This includes future research planning and support to administration activities such as performance monitoring, ( printed page 54329) budgeting, knowledge transfer as well as strategic planning.

This Project seeks to answer the following research questions:

(1) What progress has been demonstrated across AHRQ-funded research activities and related funding mechanisms, including grants, research contracts, and challenge completion awards, and how can the resulting progress and output data be systematically leveraged to inform future research planning and to support core administrative functions, including performance monitoring, budgeting, knowledge transfer, and strategic planning?

This Project has the following goals:

(1) To promote the transfer of critical information more frequently and efficiently and enhance the Agency's ability to support research designed to improve the outcomes and quality of health care, reduce its costs, and broaden access to effective services

(2) To increase the efficiency of the Agency in responding to ad-hoc information requests

(3) To support Executive Branch requirements for increased transparency and public reporting

(4) To establish a consistent approach throughout the Agency for information collection regarding research progress and a systematic basis for oversight and for facilitating potential collaborations among grantees

(5) To decrease the inconvenience and burden on grantees of unanticipated ad-hoc requests for information by the Agency in response to particular (one-time) internal and external requests for information

The information is being collected by AHRQ, pursuant to its statutory authority to conduct and support research on healthcare and on systems for the delivery of such care, including activities with respect to the quality, effectiveness, efficiency, appropriateness and value of healthcare services and with respect to quality measurement and improvement, and database development. 42 U.S.C. 299a(a)(1) and (8). Minor revisions to the scope of respondents are being proposed to clarify applicability to AHRQ-funded research contracts and challenge competition recipients; no substantive revisions to the core reporting content are being proposed.

Method of Collection

To achieve the goals of this project the following data collections will be implemented:

AHRQ Research Reporting System (ARRS)—Award recipients, contractors, and authorized AHRQ official, as applicable, use the ARRS system to report project progress and important preliminary findings for AHRQ-funded research activities. Reporting frequency varies based on award type and programmatic need. All users access the ARRS system through a secure online interface which requires user authentication. When status reports are due AHRQ notifies designated reporting officials via email.

Estimated Annual Respondent Burden

Exhibit 1 shows the estimated annualized burden hours for the respondents. The estimated number of respondents is 450 a year, a decrease from the last Information Collection Request, which estimated 500 reports to be collected in a year. This revised amount is based on the current number of 210 active reports and adjusted upwards to account for any new grants, research contracts, or challenge competition awards AHRQ may award in the future.

Grantees will take an estimated 30 minutes to enter the necessary data into the ARRS. Frequency of reporting varies from monthly to twice a year. Based on that, the total annualized burden hours are estimated to be 225 hours.

Exhibit 2 shows the estimated annualized cost burden for the respondents. The total estimated cost burden for respondents is $26,725.50.

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 ( printed page 54330) 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.