[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 160 (Monday, August 19, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Pages 53801-53802]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-20920]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality


Preliminary Measure Set for the National Healthcare Quality 
Report

Request for Comments

    The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) announces a 
request for public comment on the Preliminary Measure Set to be used in 
preparing the first National Healthcare Quality Report (NHQR). The NHQR 
is a congressionally mandated report (see 42 U.S.C. 299b-2(b)(2)) on 
national trends with respect to health care quality. The legislation 
mandated that the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) 
submit this report on an annual basis beginning in 2003. The 
Preliminary Measure Set for the NHQR was generated through a call for 
measures to Federal agencies and private organizations. AHRQ issued a 
call for measures to Federal agencies, through the Quality Interagency 
Coordination Task Force (QuIC), from October 2000-February 2001. The 
Institute of Medicine issued the call to private organizations from 
June-July 2000. An interagency Department of Health and Human Services 
(DHHS) working group then reviewed and revised the candidate measures. 
AHRQ and the interagency working group are seeking comments on (1) the 
extent to which the proposed measures meet the criteria of importance, 
scientific soundness, and feasibility; (2) the balance, 
comprehensiveness, and robustness of the overall measure set; and (3) 
the appropriateness of the data sources.

Comments Deadline

    Written comments will be accepted by September 18, 2002. For 
submission of written comments and additional information: Ed Kelley, 
Ph.D., Senior Service Fellow, National Healthcare Quality Report, 
Center for Quality Improvement and Patient Safety, Agency for 
Healthcare Research and Quality, 6011 Executive Boulevard, Suite 200, 
Rockville, MD 20852, Fax: (301) 594-2155, E-mail: [email protected].

Availability of Preliminary Measure Set

    Copies of the Preliminary Measure Set are available from the AHRQ 
Web site at: http://www.ahrg.gov/qual/measurix.htm. For organizations 
without access to the Internet, AHRQ will make a paper version 
available either through overnight mail or by fax upon written request. 
Requests for paper versions of the preliminary measure set should be 
faxed to the above number.

Public Review of Comments

    Comments and responses received will be available for public 
inspection at AHRQ's Information Resource Center (IRC) public reading 
room between the hours of 8:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. on regular business days 
at 2101 East Jefferson Street, Suite 500, Rockville, MD 20852. 
Arrangements for viewing public comments may be made by calling (301) 
594-6349. Responses may also be accessed through AHRQ's Electronic 
Freedom of Information Reading Room

[[Page 53802]]

on AHRQ's Web site at http://www.ahrq.gov/news/foiaindx.htm.

    Dated: August 9, 2002.
Carolyn M. Clancy,
Acting Director.
[FR Doc. 02-20920 Filed 8-6-02; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4160-90-M