[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 68 (Thursday, April 9, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 17487-17488]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-9322]


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DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS

[OMB Control No. 2900-0260]


Agency Information Collection Activities Under OMB Review

AGENCY: Veterans Health Administration, Department of Veterans Affairs.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) of 1995 
(44 U.S.C., 3501 et seq.), this notice announces that the Veterans 
Health Administration (VHA), Department of Veterans Affairs, has 
submitted the collection of information abstracted below to the Office 
of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and comment. The PRA 
submission describes the nature of the information collection and its 
expected cost and burden; it includes the actual data collection 
instrument.

DATE: Comments must be submitted on or before May 11, 1998.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION OR A COPY OF THE SUBMISSION CONTACT: Ron 
Taylor, Information Management Service (045A4), Department of Veterans 
Affairs, 810 Vermont Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20420, (202) 273-8015 
or FAX (202) 273-5981. Please refer to ``OMB Control No. 2900-0260.''

SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION:
    Title and Form Number: Request for and Consent to Release of 
Medical Records Protected by Section 7332, VA Form 10-5345(R).

[[Page 17488]]

    OMB Control Number: 2900-0260.
    Type of Review: Reinstatement, without change, of a previously 
approved collection for which approval has expired.
    Abstract: Section 7332, Title 38, United States Code requires the 
VA to obtain prior written consent from a patient before information 
concerning treatment for alcoholism or alcohol abuse, drug abuse, 
sickle cell anemia, or infection with the human immunodeficiency virus 
(HIV) can be disclosed from a patient medical record. This special 
consent must indicate the name of the facility permitted to make the 
disclosure, the name of the individual or organization to whom the 
information is being released, specify the particular records or 
information to be released, be under the signature of the veteran and 
dated. It must reflect the purpose for which the information is to be 
used, and include a statement that the consent is subject to revocation 
and the date, event or condition upon which the consent will expire if 
not revoked before. The Privacy Act of 1974 and VA confidentiality 
statute, Section 5701, Title 38, United States Code also requires a 
written patient consent.
    The information is collected from the patient. VA personnel 
complete 50% of the total number of forms used and the patient must 
simply sign and date the form. Patients complete the remaining 50% of 
the total number of forms. The information is usually handwritten. If 
the VA did not collect this information, medical records protected 
Title 38, U.S.C., Section 7332, could not be released from a patient's 
records. This would have a negative impact on patients who need and 
want information released to private insurance companies, physicians 
and other third parties.
    An agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required 
to respond to a collection of information unless it displays a 
currently valid OMB control number. The Federal Register Notice with a 
60-day comment period soliciting comments on this collection of 
information was published on September 11, 1997 at page 47871.
    Affected Public: Individuals or households.
    Estimated Annual Burden: 10,779 hours.
    Estimated Average Burden Per Respondent: 2 minutes.
    Frequency of Response: On occasion.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 323,378.
    Send comments and recommendations concerning any aspect of the 
information collection to VA's OMB Desk Officer, Allison Eydt, OMB 
Human Resources and Housing Branch, New Executive Office Building, Room 
10235, Washington, DC 20503 (202) 395-4650. Please refer to ``OMB 
Control No. 2900-0260'' in any correspondence.

    Dated: March 16, 1998.

    By direction of the Secretary.
Donald L. Neilson,
Director, Information Management Service.
[FR Doc. 98-9322 Filed 4-8-98; 8:45 am]
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