[Federal Register: June 7, 2006 (Volume 71, Number 109)]
[Notices]
[Page 32964-32965]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr07jn06-88]
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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, Department of
Health and Human Services.
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 Budget (OMB) allow the proposed information collection
as part of an AHRQ contract for ``Privacy and Security Solutions for
Interoperable Electronic Health Information Exchange'' (the
Assessment). In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995,
Public Law 104-13 (44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A)), AHRQ is submitting a
request to OMB for emergency review.
AHRQ is requesting an emergency review of this collection because
the information is needed for subsequent health information technology
projects later this year. Because subcontracts were solicited and
awarded to the States, it was not possible to accurately quantify the
public burden earlier this year. Data collection subcontract proposals
were solicited from States and until they were reviewed, selected,
awarded and accepted, it was not possible to accurately quantify the
public burden earlier.
DATES: Comments on this notice must be received by July 7, 2006.
ADDRESSES: Written comments should be submitted to John Kraemer, Human
Resources and Housing Branch, Office of Information and Regulatory
Affairs, Office of Management and Budget, 725 17th Street, Washington,
DC 20503, (202) 395-6880.
Copies of the proposed collection plans, data collection
instruments, and specific details on the estimated burden can be
obtained from the AHRQ clearance officer, Doris Lefkowitz, 540 Gaither
Road, Suite 5036, Rockville, MD 20850, (301) 427-1477.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Doris Lefkowitz, AHRQ, Reports
Clearance Officer, 540 Gaither Road, Suite 5036, Rockville, MD 20850,
(301) 427-1477.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Proposed Project
The Assessment Plan
Regulations promulgated pursuant to the Health Insurance
Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) established baseline privacy
requirements for protected health information and security requirements
for protected health information. Many States, institutions, and health
care providers have adopted policies that go beyond HIPAA. The manner
in which hospitals, physicians, and other health care organizations
implement security and privacy policies varies and is tailored to meet
their individual organizations' needs. These variations in policies
present challenges for widespread electronic health information
exchange.
The proposed data collection is the foundational part of a project
under AHRQ's Assessment contract. The project seeks to: Identify
variations in privacy and security practices and laws affecting
electronic health information exchange; learn about and develop best
practices and proposed solutions to address identified challenges; and
increase expertise in communities about health information privacy and
security protections. The project, being managed by RTI International
and the National Governors Association, is a public-private
collaboration. The contractor will work with up to 33 States and Puerto
Rico to assess variations in organization-level business policies and
practices, and the underlying laws that affect the electronic exchange
of health information, identify and propose practical solutions while
preserving privacy and meeting security concerns addressed in
applicable Federal and State laws, and develop detailed plans to
implement solutions. RTI International, a private, nonprofit
corporation, was selected as the contract recipient to conduct this
study.
The use of health information technology (IT) and the adoption of
electronic health records (EHRs) are intended to enable health
information to follow patients throughout their care in a seamless and
secure manner. Widespread use of EHRs offers a unique means of
improving quality, lowering health care costs, and preventing medical
errors which contribute to the deaths of between 50,000 and 100,000
Americans per year.
This privacy and security assessment project is a key part of the
Department of Health and Human Services' health IT plan to accomplish
the President's initiative to foster and accelerate widespread use of
electronic health records. Information collected by this effort is
critical for the advancement of
[[Page 32965]]
health IT and will be used to achieve the goal of developing seamless
and secure electronic health records nationwide.
Methods of Collection
Participation in the Assessment will be fully voluntary and non-
participation will have no affect on eligibility for, or receipt of,
future AHRQ health services research support or on future opportunities
to participate in research or to obtain informative research results.
In each of the 33 States and Puerto Rico, 15 meetings will be held with
stakeholder groups. Each group will have approximately 25 participants
who will represent providers of health services, entities supporting
health delivery systems, public health agencies, patients, individual
consumers, and consumer groups. During these stakeholder meetings,
participants will discuss different ``scenarios'' describing practical
examples of health information exchanges (e.g., patient care,
emergency/disaster response, payments, research, compliance with
mandatory statutory reporting, law enforcement requests for
information, etc.). The objective of these meetings is to identify and
assess the affect of organization-level business policies and practices
that promote or pose challenges to health information exchange.
Estimated Annual Respondent Burden
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Estimated time
Type of research activity Number of per respondent Total burden
respondents (hours) hours
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Stakeholder Meetings................................... 12,750 3 38,250
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Total.............................................. 12,750 3 38,250
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Estimated Costs to the Federal Government
Expenses (equipment, overhead, printing and support staff) will be
incurred by AHRQ components as part of their normal operating budgets.
No additional cost to the Federal Government is anticipated.
Request for Comments
In accordance with the above-cited Paperwork Reduction Act,
comments on the AHRQ 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 functions of
AHRQ, including whether the information will have practical utility;
(b) the accuracy of the AHRQ's estimate of burden (including hours and
cost) of the proposed collection of information; and (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 of other forms of information technology.
Comments submitted in response to this notice will be summarized
and included in the request for OMB approval of the proposed
information collection. All comments will become a matter of public
record.
Dated: June 2, 2006.
Carolyn M. Clancy,
Director.
[FR Doc. 06-5226 Filed 6-5-06; 1:50 pm]
BILLING CODE 4160-90-M