[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 15 (Tuesday, January 24, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 3849-3850]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 06-612]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality


Solicitation for Nominations for New Primary and Secondary Health 
Topics To Be Considered for Review by the United States Preventive 
Services Task Force

AGENCY: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), DHHS.

ACTION: Solicit for new topic nominations.

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SUMMARY: The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) invites 
individuals and organizations to nominate primary and secondary 
prevention topics pertaining to clinical preventive services that they 
would like the United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) to 
consider for review. A list of topics that have been recently reviewed 
or are currently under review by the USPSTF is listed below in the 
supplementary information section.
    The USPSTF is an independent panel of experts that makes evidence-
based recommendations regarding the provision of clinical preventive 
services. Clinical preventive services include screening, counseling 
and preventive medications. The USPSTF makes recommendations about 
preventive services for asymptomatic people--people without recognized 
signs or symptoms of the specific conditions targeted by the preventive 
service.
    Topics can be nominated by individuals, organizations, evidence-
based practice centers (EPC) and USPSTF members. The USPSTF will 
consider nominations and prioritize topics for review based on the 
following set of criteria: Public health importance (burden of 
suffering, potential of preventive service to reduce the burden); new 
evidence that has the potential to change prior recommendations 
including inactive ones; and, potential for greatest Task Force impact 
(e.g., clinical controversy, practice does not reflect evidence, 
inappropriate timing in delivery of services). The USPSTF will 
prioritize topics for which there is a performance gap and the 
potential to significantly improve clinical practice. Individuals and 
organizations may nominate new topics or topics previously reviewed by 
the USPSTF.
    Basic Topic Nomination Requirements: Nominations must be no more 
than 500 words in length and must include the following information. 
Nominations may include an appendix that contains references and 
supporting documents (not included in word count).
    1. Name of topic.
    2. Rationale for consideration by the USPSTF, to include:
    a. Primary or secondary prevention topic (screening, counseling or 
preventive medication).
    b. Primary care relevance (aplicable clinical preventive service 
must be initiated in the primary care setting which can be defined as 
family practice, internal medicine, pediatrics or obstetrics/gynecology 
and provided by a primary care provider).
    c. Description of public health importance (burden of disease/
suffering, potential of preventive service to reduce burden, including 
effective interventions). Citations and supporting documents are 
recommended.
    d. Summary of new evidence, if any, that has potential to affect 
the Task Force's recommendation on a previously reviewed topic. Please 
refer to http://preventiveservices.ahrg.gov for USPSTF recommendations. 
Citations and supporting documents are recommended.
    e. Description of potential impact of USPSTF's review of the topic, 
i.e., change in clinical practice, research focus, etc.

DATES: Topic nominations should be submitted by February 23, 2006, in 
order to be considered for 2006-2008. AHRQ will not reply to 
submissions in response to the request for nominations, but will 
consider all topic nominations during the selection process. If a topic 
is selected for review by the USPSTF, the nominator will be notified by 
AHRQ.

ADDRESSES: Please submit nominations to: Therese Miller, DrPH, ATTN: 
USPSTF Topic Nominations, Center for Primary Care, Prevention & 
Clinical Partnerships, Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, 540 
Gaither Road,

[[Page 3850]]

Rockville, MD 20850, Fax: 301.427.1597, E-mail: [email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Therese Miller at [email protected] or 
Gloria Washington at [email protected].
    Arrangement For Public Inspection: All nominations will be 
available for public inspections by appointment at the Center for 
Primary Care, Prevention & Clinical Partnerships, 301.427.1500, 
weekdays between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. (eastern time).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    Under Title IX of the Public Health Service Act, AHRQ is charged 
with enhancing the quality, appropriateness and effectiveness of health 
care services and access to such services. AHRQ accomplishes these 
goals through scientific research and promotion of improvements in 
clinical practice, including prevention of diseases and other health 
conditions and improvements in the organization, financing and delivery 
of health care services (42 U.S.C. 299-299c-7 as amended by Pub. L. 
106-129 (1999)).
    The United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) is an 
independent expert panel, first established in 1984 under the auspices 
of the U.S. Public Health Service. Currently, under AHRQ's authorizing 
legislation noted above, the Director of AHRQ is responsible for 
convening the USPSTF to be composed of individuals with appropriate 
expertise. The mission of the Task Force is to rigorously evaluate the 
effectiveness of critical preventive services and to formulate 
recommendations for primary care clinicians regarding the appropriate 
provision of preventive services. The USPSTF transitioned to a standing 
Task Force in 2001. Current Task Force recommendations and associated 
evidence reviews are available at http://www.preventiveservices.ahrq.gov.

Topic Nomination Solicitation

    The purpose of this solicitation for new topics by AHRQ and the 
USPSTF is to create a balanced portfolio of relevant topics for the 
current Task Force library. The library is based on populations, types 
of services (screening, counseling, preventive medications), and 
disease types (cancer; heart and vascular disease; injury and violence-
related disorders; infectious diseases; mental disorders and substance 
abuse; metabolic, nutritional and endocrine diseases; musculoskeletal 
conditions; obstetric and gynecological conditions; pediatric 
disorders; and, vision and hearing disorders). Selection of suggested 
topics will be made on the basis of qualifications of nominations as 
outlined above (see basic topic nomination requirements) and the 
current expertise of the USPSTF.

U.S. Preventive Services Task Force

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                                             Type of  preventive service
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Topics Currently Under Review:
  Additional Risk Factors for Intermediate   S
   CHD Risk.
  Aspirin Primary Prevention of CHD........  PM
  Aspirin Prophylaxis in Pregnancy.........  PM
  Aspirin/NSAIDs to prevent Colorectal       PM
   Cancer.
  Bacterial Vaginosis in Pregnancy.........  S
  Breast Cancer............................  S/PM
  Carotid Artery Stenosis..................  S
  Chlamydial Infection.....................  S
  Colorectal Cancer........................  S
  Depression in Adults.....................  S
  Drug Misuse..............................  S
  Dyslipidemia in Adults and Children......  S
  Gestational Diabetes Mellitus............  S
  Hearing Impairment in Elderly............  S
  Hearing Impairment Newborn...............  S
  Hemochromatosis..........................  S
  Hip Dysplasia............................  S
  HIV & Other Sexually Transmitted Diseases  C
  Iron Deficiency Anemia, including iron     S
   prophylaxis.
  Lead Levels in Childhood & Pregnancy.....  S
  Motor Vehicle Occupant Injuries..........  C
  Obesity in Adults........................  S/C
  Osteoporosis to prevent Fractures........  S
  Skin Cancer..............................  S/C
  Speech & Language Delay..................  S
  Thyroid Cancer...........................  S
 
Topics Recently Reviewed:
  Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm................  S
  Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis..........  S
  Alcohol Misuse...........................  C
  Bladder Cancer...........................  S
  BRCA 1 & 2...............................  S
  Breastfeeding............................  C
  Cervical Cancer..........................  S
  Coronary Heart Disease screening by EKG,   S
   ETT, EBCT.
  Dementia.................................  S
  Dental Caries in Preschool Children......  S
  Diabetes Mellitus Type 2.................  S
  Family Violence..........................  S
  Genital Herpes Simplex...................  S
  Glaucoma.................................  S
  Gonorrhea................................  S
  Hepatitis B Virus Infection..............  S
  Hepatitis C Virus Infection in Adults....  S
  Healthy Diet.............................  C
  HIV Infection............................  S
  Hypertension.............................  S
  Low Back Pain............................  C
  Lung Cancer..............................  S
  Obesity in Children......................  S
  Oral Cancer..............................  S
  Ovarian Cancer...........................  S
  Pancreatic Cancer........................  S
  Peripheral Arterial/Vascular Disease.....  S
  Physical Activity........................  C
  Postmenopausal Hormone Prophylaxis (HRT).  PM
  Prostate Cancer..........................  S
  Rh Incompatibility.......................  S
  Suicide Risk.............................  S
  Syphilis.................................  S
  Testicular Cancer........................  S
  Thyroid Disease..........................  S
  Visual Impairment in Children............  S
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Type of Preventive Service: S = Screening; C = Counseling; PM =
  Preventive Medications.


    Dated: January 17, 2006.
Carolyn M. Clancy,
Director.
[FR Doc. 06-612 Filed 1-23-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4160-90-M