[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 80 (Wednesday, April 25, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 24715-24716]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-9868]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES


Solicitation of Written Comments on Draft: National Action Plan 
To Prevent Healthcare-Associated Infections: Roadmap to Elimination

AGENCY: Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the 
Assistant Secretary for Health, Office of Healthcare Quality.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Office of Healthcare Quality is soliciting public comment 
on the revised draft National Action Plan to Prevent Healthcare-
Associated Infections: Roadmap to Elimination.

DATES: Comments on the revised draft National Action Plan to Prevent 
Healthcare-Associated Infections: Roadmap to Elimination should be 
received no later than 5 p.m. on June 25, 2012. This document reflects 
a significant update and expansion from the initial version issued in 
2009, ``HHS Action Plan to Prevent Healthcare-Associated Infections.'' 
It includes new sections specific to infection reduction in ambulatory 
surgical centers and end-stage renal disease facilities, as well as a 
new section on increasing influenza vaccination of health care 
personnel. The Action Plan reflects the work of many offices across the 
Department of Health and Human Services, Department of Defense, and 
Department of Veterans Affairs. The plan also reflects input from 
national experts and stakeholder organizations.

ADDRESSES: The revised draft National Action Plan to Prevent 
Healthcare-Associated Infections: Roadmap to Elimination can be found 
at http://www.hhs.gov/ash/initiatives/hai/actionplan/index.html. 
Comments are preferred electronically and may be addressed to 
[email protected]. Written responses should be addressed to the Department of 
Health and Human Services, Office of Healthcare Quality, 200 
Independence Ave, SW., Room 711G, Washington, DC 20201, Attention: 
Draft National HAI AP.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Daniel Gallardo, (202) 690-2470 or 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION

I. Background

    Healthcare-associated infections, or HAIs, are a serious public 
health issue; at any given time, about 1 in every 20 patients has an 
infection related to their hospital care, which cost the U.S. 
healthcare system billions of dollars each year. For these reasons, the 
prevention and reduction of healthcare-associated infections is a top 
priority for the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). 
Multiple Operating and Staff Divisions within HHS have been working to 
reduce the incidence and prevalence of healthcare-associated infections 
for decades. To further efforts, the HHS Steering Committee for the 
Prevention of Healthcare-Associated Infections was established in July 
2008 and charged with developing a comprehensive strategy to progress 
toward the elimination of healthcare-associated infections.
    In 2009, the Steering Committee issued the initial version of the 
``HHS Action Plan to Prevent Healthcare-Associated Infections.'' The 
initial strategy (Phase One) focused on the prevention of infections in 
the acute care hospital setting and includes: a prioritized research 
agenda; an integrated information systems and technology strategy; 
policy options for linking payment incentives or

[[Page 24716]]

disincentives to quality of care and enhancing regulatory oversight of 
hospitals; and a national messaging plan to raise awareness of HAIs 
among the hospitals and family caregivers. The Action Plan also 
delineates specific measures and five-year goals to focus efforts and 
track national progress in reducing the most prevalent infections. In 
addition, the plan intended to enhance collaboration with non-
government stakeholders and partners at the national, regional, state, 
and local levels to strengthen coordination and impact of efforts.
    Recognizing the need to coordinate prevention efforts across 
healthcare facilities, HHS began to transition into the second phase 
(Phase Two) of the Action Plan in late 2009. Phase Two expands efforts 
outside of the acute care setting into outpatient facilities (e.g., 
ambulatory surgical centers, end-stage renal disease facilities). The 
healthcare and public health communities are increasingly challenged to 
identify, respond to, and prevent healthcare-associated infections 
across the continuum of settings where healthcare is delivered. The 
public health model's population-based perspective can be deployed to 
enhance healthcare-associated infection prevention, particularly given 
the shifts in healthcare delivery from the acute care (Phase One) to 
ambulatory (Phase Two) and other settings.
    Moreover, healthcare personnel can acquire and transmit influenza 
from patients or transmit influenza to patients and other health care 
personnel. Results of several studies indicate that higher vaccination 
coverage among health care personnel is associated with lower incidence 
of nosocomial influenza, influenza-like illness, or mortality during 
influenza season. In addition, the proportion of healthcare-associated 
cases among hospitalized patients decreases as well, suggesting that 
increased staff vaccination can contribute to the decline in the number 
of healthcare-associated influenza cases.
    The Steering Committee drafted two strategies or modules that 
address healthcare-associated infection prevention in ambulatory 
surgical centers and end-stage renal disease facilities. An additional 
module addresses influenza vaccination of health care personnel. 
Similar to its Phase One efforts, Phase Two healthcare-associated 
infection reduction strategies expect to be executed through research 
and guideline development, implementation of national quality 
improvement initiatives at the provider level, and creation of payment 
policies that promote infection control and reduction in healthcare 
facilities.
    To assist the Steering Committee in obtaining broad input in the 
development of the three draft modules, HHS, through this request for 
information (RFI), is seeking comments from stakeholders and the 
general public on the revised draft National Action Plan to Prevent 
Healthcare-Associated Infections: Roadmap to Elimination. The revised 
draft can be found at http://www.hhs.gov/ash/initiatives/hai/actionplan/index.html.

II. Information Request

    The Office of Healthcare Quality, on behalf of the HHS Steering 
Committee for the Prevention of Healthcare-Associated Infections, 
requests input on the revised draft National Action Plan to Prevent 
Healthcare-Associated Infections: Roadmap to Elimination.

III. Potential Responders

    HHS invites input from a broad range of individuals and 
organizations that have interests in preventing and reducing 
healthcare-associated infections. Some examples of these organizations 
include, but are not limited to the following:
--General public
--Healthcare, professional, and educational organizations/societies
--Caregivers or health system providers (e.g., physicians, physician 
assistants, nurses, infection preventionists)
--State and local public health agencies
--Public health organizations
--Foundations
--Medicaid- and Medicare-related organizations
--Insurers and business groups
--Collaboratives and consortia.
    When responding, please self-identify with any of the above or 
other categories (include all that apply) and your name. Anonymous 
submissions will not be considered. The submission of written materials 
in response to the RFI should not exceed 10 pages, not including 
appendices and supplemental documents. Responders may submit other 
forms of electronic materials to demonstrate or exhibit concepts of 
their written responses, however, we request that comments are 
identified by Chapter, Section, and page number so they may be 
addressed accordingly. All comments received before the close of the 
comment period are available for viewing by the public, including any 
personally identifiable or confidential business information that is 
included in a comment.

    Dated: April 19, 2012.
Don Wright,
Deputy Assistant Secretary for Health.
[FR Doc. 2012-9868 Filed 4-24-12; 8:45 am]
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