Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; Comment Request
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 with...
This notice announces the intention of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) to request that the Office of Management and
( printed 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
www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain.
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.
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
Type of information collection
Number of
respondents
Number of
responses per
respondent
Hours per
response
Total burden
hours
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
Total
3,635
N/A
N/A
1,130
* May include telephone non-response follow-up, in which case, the burden will not change.
Exhibit 2—Estimated Annualized Burden Cost
Type of information collection
Total burden
hours
Average
hourly wage rate *
Adjusted
average
hourly wage rate **
Total cost burden
(total burden hours ×
adjusted average hourly wage rate)
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
( printed page 63280)
Focus Groups
334
33.54
67.08
22,405
In-person
56
33.54
67.08
3,756
Total
1,130
33.54
67.08
75,800
* Bureau of Labor & Statistics on “Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2025” for all occupations found at the following URL:
data.bls.gov/oes/#/area/0000000/2025
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.
www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain
data.bls.gov/oes/#/area/0000000/2025
44 U.S.C. 3501-3520