[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 177 (Tuesday, September 15, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Page 47254]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-22062]



[[Page 47254]]

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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES


Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information 
Technology; HIT Standards Committee; Notice and Publication of 
Committee Recommendations to the National Coordinator for Health 
Information Technology

AGENCY: Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information 
Technology, HHS.

ACTION: Notice of committee recommendations and invitation for public 
input.

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SUMMARY: This notice publishes recommendations made by the HIT 
Standards Committee (Committee) at its public meeting on August 20, 
2009, and invites public input on the recommendations at the 
Committee's next meeting on September 15, 2009. The Committee is a 
Federal advisory committee to the Office of the National Coordinator 
for Health Information Technology (ONC).
    Name of Committee: HIT Standards Committee.
    General Function of the Committee: To provide recommendations to 
the National Coordinator on standards, implementation specifications, 
and certification criteria for the electronic exchange and use of 
health information for purposes of adoption, consistent with the 
implementation of the Federal Health IT Strategic Plan, and in 
accordance with policies developed by the HIT Policy Committee. 
Sections 3003(b)(4) and (e) of the Health Information Technology for 
Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act requires ONC to publish the 
Committee's recommendations to the National Coordinator in the Federal 
Register and on ONC's Web site.
    Contact Person: Judith Sparrow, Office of the National Coordinator, 
HHS, 330 C Street, SW., Washington, DC 20201, 202-205-4528, Fax: 202-
690-6079, e-mail: [email protected].
    Recommendations: During the August 20, 2009, meeting, the 
Committee's recommendations focused on the following areas: Clinical 
Quality, Clinical Operations, and Privacy and Security. All 
recommendations may be found at http://HealthIT.hhs.gov/standardscommittee. In addition, specific URLs for each recommendation 
have been listed below.

I. Clinical Quality

A. Background

    The Clinical Quality recommendations pertain to the appropriate 
standardized performance measures that correspond to the HIT Policy 
Committee's 2011 Meaningful Use Measures. The recommendations include 
30 quality performance measures and the data types required for each, 
of which National Quality Forum (NQF)-endorsed measures can either be 
retooled for use in an Electronic Health Record (EHR) or will require 
attestation for the foreseeable future.

B. Recommendations

    http://healthit.hhs.gov/portal/server.pt/gateway/PTARGS_0_10741_880489_0_0_18/2011%20Measure%20Recommendations_Clinical%20Quality%20Workgroup_08202009.pdf.

II. Clinical Operations

A. Background

    The Clinical Operations recommendations focus on standards for 2011 
Meaningful Use, including quality data reporting, messaging formats, 
and all the vocabularies necessary for semantic interoperability.

B. Recommendations

    http://healthit.hhs.gov/portal/server.pt/gateway/PTARGS_0_10741_880490_0_0_18/Ferguson_Clinical%20Operations%20WG%20Recommendations%20Revised%20Summary.pdf.

III. Privacy and Security

A. Background

    The Privacy and Security recommendations focus on authentication, 
authorization, auditing and secure data transmission standards as well 
as Meaningful Use measures related to HIPAA compliance.

B. Recommendations

    http://healthit.hhs.gov/portal/server.pt/gateway/PTARGS_0_10741_880497_0_0_18/PRIVACY%20AND%20SECURITY%20STANDARDS%20APPLICABLE%20TO%20ARRA%20REQUIREMENTS.pdf.
    Procedure: Individuals wishing to make comments on the Committee's 
August 20, 2009, recommendations may present oral comments at the 
Committee's next meeting on September 15, 2009, from approximately 1 
p.m. to 2 p.m./Eastern Time, at the Omni Shoreham Hotel, 2500 Calvert 
Street, NW., Washington, DC 20008. Comments will be limited to two (2) 
minutes per person. A separate notice announcing this meeting has been 
published in the Federal Register and provides additional information.

    Authority:  Sections 3003(b)(4) and (e) of Health Information 
Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act, Title XIII 
of Division A of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 
(ARRA), Public Law 111-5.

    Dated: September 9, 2009.
Judith Sparrow,
Office of Programs and Coordination, Office of the National Coordinator 
for Health Information Technology.
[FR Doc. E9-22062 Filed 9-14-09; 8:45 am]
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