Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection: Comment Request

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Health Resources and Services Administration

Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection:

Comment Request

In compliance with the requirement for opportunity for public

comment on proposed data collection projects (section 3506(c)(2)(A) of

Title 35, United States Code, as amended by the Paperwork Reduction Act

of 1995, Pub. L. 104-13), the Health Resources and Services

Administration (HRSA) will publish periodic summaries of proposed

projects being developed for submission to OMB under the Paperwork

Reduction Act of 1995. To request more information on the proposed

project or to obtain a copy of the data collection plans, call the HRSA

Reports Clearance Officer on (301) 443-1129.

Comments are invited on: (a) whether the proposed collection of

information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of

the agency, including whether the information shall have practical

utility; (b) the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden of the

proposed collection 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 on respondents,

including through the use of automated collection techniques or other

forms of information technology.

Proposed Project

Consortia Development for Health Professions Training in Community-

Based Settings--New--Consortia which include academic institutions and

community-based providers have been proposed as one mechanism for

improving collaboration between health professions schools and

communities, enabling them to provide relevant educational experiences

and facilitating meeting education and workforce goals. The consortia

should be based on a formal association of academic health professions

training schools or programs and community-based providers (e.g.,

community/migrant health centers, managed care organizations) involved,

at least, in part, in the entry-level education and/or continuing

education of health professionals. The purposes of this project are (1)

to prepare an inventory of consortia for health professions education,

(2) to examine the characteristics of successful consortia, and (3) to

examine the role that consortia play in assisting health professions

schools or programs to prepare health care providers for the evolving

health care system.

An initial survey will be conducted by mail of consortia identified

through informal conversations with key academic representatives,

community-based providers, and other knowledgeable individuals, and a

literature review. The initial survey will be used to gather

information that generally describes the consortia, including their

goals and accomplishments. Consortia respondents will also be asked to

identify additional consortia that should receive the initial survey.

From the information gathered in the initial survey, 20 consortia will

be selected for additional study as models of successful consortia,

based on criteria established by an advisory workgroup.

The second survey will consist of phone interviews with up to 20 of

the consortia identified as successful models from the initial survey.

These data will describe the characteristics of successful consortia in

more detail (leadership, organizational models, missions and goals,

financing arrangements, facilitating factors, and barriers). Data will

also be collected to determine the role that consortia play in

assisting health professional schools to prepare health care providers

for the evolving health care system. The burden estimates are as

follows:

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No. of Responses per Total Hours per Total burden

Form name respondents respondent responses response hours

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Mail survey of consortia........ 200 1 200 .5 100

Telephone follow-up of

successful models.............. 20 1 20 2 40

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Total....................... 200 1.1 220 .64 140

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Send comments to Patricia Royston, HRSA Reports Clearance Officer,

Room 14-36, Parklawn Building, 5600 Fishers Lane, Rockville, MD 20857.

Written comments should be received within 60 days of this notice.

Dated: March 5, 1997.

J. Henry Montes,

Director, Office of Policy and Information Coordination.

[FR Doc. 97-5966 Filed 3-10-97; 8:45 am]

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