[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 109 (Wednesday, June 7, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 32964-32965]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 06-5226]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality


Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; 
Comment Request

AGENCY: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Department of 
Health and Human Services.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: This notice announces the intention of the Agency for 
Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) to request that the Office of 
Management and Budget (OMB) allow the proposed information collection 
as part of an AHRQ contract for ``Privacy and Security Solutions for 
Interoperable Electronic Health Information Exchange'' (the 
Assessment). In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, 
Public Law 104-13 (44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A)), AHRQ is submitting a 
request to OMB for emergency review.
    AHRQ is requesting an emergency review of this collection because 
the information is needed for subsequent health information technology 
projects later this year. Because subcontracts were solicited and 
awarded to the States, it was not possible to accurately quantify the 
public burden earlier this year. Data collection subcontract proposals 
were solicited from States and until they were reviewed, selected, 
awarded and accepted, it was not possible to accurately quantify the 
public burden earlier.

DATES: Comments on this notice must be received by July 7, 2006.

ADDRESSES: Written comments should be submitted to John Kraemer, Human 
Resources and Housing Branch, Office of Information and Regulatory 
Affairs, Office of Management and Budget, 725 17th Street, Washington, 
DC 20503, (202) 395-6880.
    Copies of the proposed collection plans, data collection 
instruments, and specific details on the estimated burden can be 
obtained from the AHRQ clearance officer, Doris Lefkowitz, 540 Gaither 
Road, Suite 5036, Rockville, MD 20850, (301) 427-1477.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Doris Lefkowitz, AHRQ, Reports 
Clearance Officer, 540 Gaither Road, Suite 5036, Rockville, MD 20850, 
(301) 427-1477.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Proposed Project

The Assessment Plan

    Regulations promulgated pursuant to the Health Insurance 
Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) established baseline privacy 
requirements for protected health information and security requirements 
for protected health information. Many States, institutions, and health 
care providers have adopted policies that go beyond HIPAA. The manner 
in which hospitals, physicians, and other health care organizations 
implement security and privacy policies varies and is tailored to meet 
their individual organizations' needs. These variations in policies 
present challenges for widespread electronic health information 
exchange.
    The proposed data collection is the foundational part of a project 
under AHRQ's Assessment contract. The project seeks to: Identify 
variations in privacy and security practices and laws affecting 
electronic health information exchange; learn about and develop best 
practices and proposed solutions to address identified challenges; and 
increase expertise in communities about health information privacy and 
security protections. The project, being managed by RTI International 
and the National Governors Association, is a public-private 
collaboration. The contractor will work with up to 33 States and Puerto 
Rico to assess variations in organization-level business policies and 
practices, and the underlying laws that affect the electronic exchange 
of health information, identify and propose practical solutions while 
preserving privacy and meeting security concerns addressed in 
applicable Federal and State laws, and develop detailed plans to 
implement solutions. RTI International, a private, nonprofit 
corporation, was selected as the contract recipient to conduct this 
study.
    The use of health information technology (IT) and the adoption of 
electronic health records (EHRs) are intended to enable health 
information to follow patients throughout their care in a seamless and 
secure manner. Widespread use of EHRs offers a unique means of 
improving quality, lowering health care costs, and preventing medical 
errors which contribute to the deaths of between 50,000 and 100,000 
Americans per year.
    This privacy and security assessment project is a key part of the 
Department of Health and Human Services' health IT plan to accomplish 
the President's initiative to foster and accelerate widespread use of 
electronic health records. Information collected by this effort is 
critical for the advancement of

[[Page 32965]]

health IT and will be used to achieve the goal of developing seamless 
and secure electronic health records nationwide.

Methods of Collection

    Participation in the Assessment will be fully voluntary and non-
participation will have no affect on eligibility for, or receipt of, 
future AHRQ health services research support or on future opportunities 
to participate in research or to obtain informative research results. 
In each of the 33 States and Puerto Rico, 15 meetings will be held with 
stakeholder groups. Each group will have approximately 25 participants 
who will represent providers of health services, entities supporting 
health delivery systems, public health agencies, patients, individual 
consumers, and consumer groups. During these stakeholder meetings, 
participants will discuss different ``scenarios'' describing practical 
examples of health information exchanges (e.g., patient care, 
emergency/disaster response, payments, research, compliance with 
mandatory statutory reporting, law enforcement requests for 
information, etc.). The objective of these meetings is to identify and 
assess the affect of organization-level business policies and practices 
that promote or pose challenges to health information exchange.

                                       Estimated Annual Respondent Burden
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                                                                              Estimated time
               Type of research activity                     Number of        per respondent      Total burden
                                                            respondents          (hours)             hours
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Stakeholder Meetings...................................             12,750                  3             38,250
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    Total..............................................             12,750                  3             38,250
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Estimated Costs to the Federal Government

    Expenses (equipment, overhead, printing and support staff) will be 
incurred by AHRQ components as part of their normal operating budgets. 
No additional cost to the Federal Government is anticipated.

Request for Comments

    In accordance with the above-cited Paperwork Reduction Act, 
comments on the AHRQ information collection are requested with regard 
to any of the following: (a) Whether the proposed collection of 
information is necessary for the proper performance of functions of 
AHRQ, including whether the information will have practical utility; 
(b) the accuracy of the AHRQ's estimate of burden (including hours and 
cost) of the proposed collection of information; and (c) ways to 
enhance the quality, utility and clarity of the information to be 
collected; and (d) ways to minimize the burden of the collection of 
information upon the respondents, including the use of automated 
collection techniques of other forms of information technology.
    Comments submitted in response to this notice will be summarized 
and included in the request for OMB approval of the proposed 
information collection. All comments will become a matter of public 
record.

    Dated: June 2, 2006.
Carolyn M. Clancy,
Director.
[FR Doc. 06-5226 Filed 6-5-06; 1:50 pm]
BILLING CODE 4160-90-M