[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 236 (Wednesday, December 9, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Page 67897]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-32669]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Agency for Health Care Policy and Research


Contract Review Meeting

    In accordance with Section 10(a) of the Federal Advisory Committee 
Act (5 U.S.C. Appendix 2), announcement is made of the following 
technical review committee to meet during the month of December 1998:

    Name: Technical Review Committee on the Agency for Health Care 
Policy and Research SBIR Topic 010--Tools to Assist Children/Parents 
Manage Their Chronic Health Needs.
    Date and Time: December 14, 1998, 1:00 p.m.-5:00 p.m.
    Place: Agency for Health Care Policy and Research Conference 
Center, 6010 Executive Boulevard, 4th Floor, Conference Room B, 
Rockville, Maryland, 20852.
    This meeting will be closed to the public.
    Purpose: The Technical Review Committee's charge is to provide, 
on behalf of the Agency for Health Care Policy and Research (AHCPR) 
Contracts Review Committee, recommendations to the Administrator, 
AHCPR, regarding the technical merit of contract proposals submitted 
in response to a specific Request for Proposals regarding the AHCPR 
Research SBIR Topic 010,--Tools to Assist Children/Parents Manage 
Their Chronic Health Needs, that was published in the Commerce 
Business Daily on August 27, 1998.
    The purpose of these contracts is to fulfill the Agency for 
Health Care Policy and Research's participation in the Small 
Business Innovation Research program (SBIR). The Small Business 
Research and Development Enhancement Act of 1992 requires the 
agencies of the Public Health Service (PHS), Department of Health 
and Human Services (HHS), and other federal agencies to reserve 2.5 
percent of their current fiscal year extramural budgets for research 
or research and development for an SBIR program. This legislation is 
intended to expand and improve the SBIR program; emphasize increased 
private sector commercialization of technology development through 
federal SBIR research and development; increase small business 
participation in federal research and development; and, foster and 
encourage participation of socially and economically disadvantaged 
small business concerns and women-owned small business concerns in 
the SBIR program.
    In Phase I of the SBIR program the contractor will determine and 
report on the scientific, technical and commercial merit and 
feasibility of the proposed research or research and development 
efforts including its ability or capacity to carry out its research 
or R&D proposal, prior to the provision of further Federal support 
in Phase II.
    The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services issued a 
Solicitation of the Public Health Service for Small Business 
Innovation Research Contract Proposals (PHS 99-1) for Topic No. 010 
to develop ``Tools to Assist Children/Parents Manage Their Chronic 
Health Needs.'' An estimated 3 to 30 percent of children (between 
2.5 and 25 million children ages 0-21) suffer from one or more 
chronic conditions. In Phase 1, the contractor will determine the 
factors important to families caring for chronically ill and 
disabled children. Offerors should propose an approach or 
combination of approaches to identify the factors. Some approaches 
to be considered are literature review, focus groups, secondary data 
analysis and other techniques appropriate for Phase I contracts. 
Then, the contractor will develop a prototype decision support tool 
to assist in family care of a child's chronic illness or disease. 
Prototype tools could include games for children with chronic 
illness, technologies that link families with the health care 
system, workbooks, interactive videos, computer-based or Internet 
based tools. The prototype should focus on a limited group of 
chronic conditions requiring families to seek care or support.
    Agenda: The Committee meeting will be devoted entirely to the 
technical review and evaluation of contract proposals submitted in 
response to the above-referenced Request for Proposals.
    The Administrator, AHCPR, has made a formal determination that 
this meeting will not be open to the public. This action is 
necessary to safeguard confidential proprietary information and 
personal information concerning individuals associated with the 
proposals that may be revealed during this meeting, and to protect 
the free exchange of views, and avoid undue interference with 
Committee and Department operations. This is in accordance with 
section 10(d) of the Federal Advisory Committee Act, 5 U.S.C., 
Appendix 2, implementing regulation, 41 CFR 101-6.1023 and 
procurement regulation, 48 CFR section 315.604(d).
    Anyone wishing to obtain information regarding this meeting 
should contact Sandra Robinson, Center for Quality Measurements & 
Improvement, Agency for Health Care Policy and Research, 2101 East 
Jefferson Street, Suite 501, Rockville, Maryland, 20852, telephone 
(301) 594-1703.

    Dated: December 2, 1998.
John M. Eisenberg,
Administrator.
[FR Doc. 98-32669 Filed 12-8-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4160-90-M