[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 159 (Monday, August 18, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 48731-48733]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-19561]


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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

[Docket ID: DoD-2014-OS-0117]


Privacy Act of 1974; System of Records

AGENCY: Defense Health Agency, DoD.

ACTION: Notice to alter a system of records.

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SUMMARY: The Defense Health Agency proposes to alter an existing system 
of records, EDHA 24, entitled ``Defense and Veterans Eye Injury and 
Vision Registry (DVEIVR)'' in its inventory of record systems subject 
to the Privacy Act of 1974, as amended. This system longitudinally 
collects and analyzes diagnoses, medical and surgical interventions, 
other treatments, and the results of eye injuries and/or visual 
dysfunctions/disorders incurred by members of the Armed Forces while 
serving on active duty; longitudinally collects from the Department of 
Veterans Affairs (VA) medical and rehabilitation treatment, surgical 
procedure, and/or outcome information about individuals who receive 
treatment from the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) and are listed 
in the DVEIVR to support readiness, enhance best practices, guide 
research, and inform policy; encourages and facilitates studies, and 
the development of best practices and clinical education, on eye 
injuries and/or visual dysfunctions/disorders incurred by members of 
the Armed Forces; supports collaborative DoD and VA programs that may 
provide vision screening, diagnosis, and rehabilitative management to 
those with eye injuries and/or visual dysfunctions/disorders, and 
guides vision research, at DoD medical treatment facilities and VA 
medical centers; and is a management tool for statistical analysis, 
longitudinal data collection, reporting, evaluating program 
effectiveness, guiding research, and informing policy.

DATES: Comments will be accepted on or before September 17, 2014. This 
proposed action will be effective on the day following the end of the 
comment period unless comments are received which result in a contrary 
determination.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments, identified by docket number and 
title, by any of the following methods:
    * Federal Rulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov. Follow the 
instructions for submitting comments.
    * Mail: Federal Docket Management System Office, 4800 Mark Center 
Drive, East Tower, 2nd Floor, Suite 02G09, Alexandria, VA 22350-3100.
    Instructions: All submissions received should include the agency 
name and docket number for this Federal Register document. The general 
policy for comments and other submissions from members of the public is 
to make these submissions available for public viewing on the Internet 
at http://www.regulations.gov as they are received without change, 
including any personal identifiers or contact information.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. Linda S. Thomas, Chief, Defense 
Health Agency Privacy and Civil Liberties Office, 7700 Arlington 
Boulevard, Suite 5101, Falls Church, VA 22042-5101, or by telephone at 
(703) 681-7500.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Defense Health Agency notices for 
systems of records subject to the Privacy Act of 1974 (5 U.S.C. 552a), 
as amended, have been published in the Federal Register and are 
available from the address in FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT or at the 
Defense Privacy and Civil Liberties Office Web site http://dpclo.defense.gov/.
    The proposed system report, as required by 5 U.S.C. 552a(r) of the 
Privacy Act of 1974, as amended, was submitted on June 24, 2014, to the 
House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, the Senate 
Committee on Governmental Affairs, and the Office of Management and 
Budget (OMB) pursuant to paragraph 4c of Appendix I to OMB Circular No. 
A-130, ``Federal Agency Responsibilities for Maintaining Records About 
Individuals,'' dated February 8, 1996 (February 20, 1996, 61 FR 6427).

    Dated: August 13, 2014.
Aaron Siegel,
Alternate OSD Federal Register Liaison Officer, Department of Defense.
EDHA 24

System name:
    Defense and Veterans Eye Injury and Vision Registry (DVEIVR), 
(November 18, 2013, 78 FR 69076)

Changes:
* * * * *

System location:
    Delete entry and replace with ``Primary location: Office of the 
Chief Information Officer/Enterprise Infrastructure, Defense Health 
Agency, 7700 Arlington Boulevard, Suite 5101, Falls Church, VA 22042-
5101.

Secondary locations:
    Department of Defense/Department of Veterans Affairs Vision Center 
of Excellence, 2900 Crystal Drive, Suite 210, Arlington, VA 22202-3557.
    For a complete listing of all system locations, write to the system 
manager.''

Categories of individuals covered by the system:
    Delete entry and replace with ``Individuals who incurred an eye 
injury and/or visual dysfunction/disorder while serving as a member of 
the Armed Forces on active duty after September 10, 2001. This includes 
individuals with a visual dysfunction/disorder related to a traumatic 
brain injury, an eye injury resulting in a visual acuity in the injured 
eye of 20/200 or less, and/or a loss of peripheral vision resulting in 
20 degrees or less of visual field in the injured eye.''

Categories of records in the system:
    Delete entry and replace with ``Records include the individual's 
full name; Department of Defense (DoD) Identification Number (DoD ID 
Number); date of birth; place of birth; date of death; gender; other 
names used; mailing address; email address; contact telephone numbers; 
marital status; race and ethnicity; citizenship; mother's maiden name; 
biometric information; service and employment information including 
rank, service branch, job category, operation, work location, and 
disability information; medical information including information on 
diagnosis, treatment, surgical interventions or other operative 
procedures, follow up services and treatment, visual outcomes, on-going 
eye care, visual rehabilitation benefits, services received, whether 
treatments, benefits, and services were provided on

[[Page 48732]]

an inpatient or outpatient basis, inpatient service dates, and 
outpatient visit dates; and information on where the eye injury and/or 
visual dysfunction/disorder occurred. The name and phone number of the 
individual's alternative contacts and/or personal representatives will 
only be collected into the DVEIVR if available in the original 
record.''

Authority for maintenance of the system:
    Delete entry and replace with ``10 U.S.C. 1071, note, Sec. 1623, 
Center of Excellence in Prevention, Diagnosis, Mitigation, Treatment, 
and Rehabilitation of Military Eye Injuries; and 10 U.S.C. Chapter 55, 
Medical and Dental Care.''

Purpose(s):
    Delete entry and replace with ``To longitudinally collect and 
analyze diagnoses, medical and surgical interventions, other 
treatments, and the results of eye injuries and/or visual dysfunctions/
disorders incurred by members of the Armed Forces while serving on 
active duty.
    To longitudinally collect from the Department of Veterans Affairs 
(VA) medical and rehabilitation treatment, surgical procedure, and/or 
outcome information about individuals who receive treatment from the 
Veterans Health Administration (VHA) and are listed in the DVEIVR to 
support readiness, enhance best practices, guide research, and inform 
policy.
    To encourage and facilitate studies, and the development of best 
practices and clinical education, on eye injuries and/or visual 
dysfunctions/disorders incurred by members of the Armed Forces.
    To support collaborative DoD and VA programs that may provide 
vision screening, diagnosis, and rehabilitative management to those 
with eye injuries and/or visual dysfunctions/disorders, and to guide 
vision research, at DoD medical treatment facilities and VA medical 
centers.
    Also used as a management tool for statistical analysis, 
longitudinal data collection, reporting, evaluating program 
effectiveness, guiding research, and informing policy.''

Routine uses of records maintained in the system, including categories 
of users and the purposes of such uses:
    Delete entry and replace with ``In addition to those disclosures 
generally permitted under 5 U.S.C. 552a(b) of the Privacy Act of 1974, 
as amended, these records may be specifically disclosed outside the DoD 
as a routine use pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 552a(b)(3) as follows:
    To the VA, and Federal, state, and educational institutions to 
encourage and facilitate research, the development of best practices, 
and clinical education on eye injuries and/or visual dysfunctions/
disorders incurred by members of the Armed Forces.
    To the VA in order to inform the VA whether the VHA is providing 
medical treatment to an individual listed in the DVEIVR and allow the 
VA to transfer information pertaining to that individual's medical and 
rehabilitation treatments, surgical procedures, and/or outcomes into 
his or her DVEIVR record.
    To the VA Blind Rehabilitation Service and the eye care services of 
the VHA to analyze the coordination of eye injury and/or visual 
dysfunction/disorder care and visual rehabilitation benefits and 
services, which may be provided by the VA after individuals are 
separated or released from the Armed Forces.
    To the VA to coordinate eye injury and/or visual dysfunction/
disorder care, and visual rehabilitation benefits and services, 
provided by the VA before and after individuals are separated or 
released from the Armed Forces.
    The DoD Blanket Routine Uses may apply to this system of records.

    Note:  This system of records contains individually identifiable 
health information. The DoD Health Information Privacy Regulation 
(DoD 6025.18-R) or any successor DoD issuances implementing the 
Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) 
and 45 CFR Parts 160 and 164, Health and Human Services, General 
Administrative Requirements and Security & Privacy, respectively, 
applies to most such health information. DoD 6025.18-R or a 
successor issuance may place additional procedural requirements on 
uses and disclosures of such information beyond those found in the 
Privacy Act of 1974, as amended, or mentioned in this system of 
records notice.''

* * * * *

Retrievability:
    Delete entry and replace with ``Records may be retrieved by the 
individual's name and DoD ID Number.''

Safeguards:
    Delete entry and replace with ``Physical access to system locations 
is restricted by cipher locks, visitor escort, access rosters, and 
photo identification. Adequate locks on doors and server components are 
secured in locked computer room(s) with limited access. Each system end 
user device is protected within a locked storage container, room, or 
building outside of normal business hours. All visitors and other 
persons who require access to facilities that house servers and other 
network devices supporting the system, but who do not have 
authorization for access, are escorted by appropriately screened/
cleared personnel at all times.
    Approved system users have role-based access to the system and, as 
appropriate, are provided role-based access to query the system for 
single patient look-up and reporting purposes. On a system level, all 
access is tracked to ensure that only appropriate and approved 
personnel have access to personally identifiable information and 
protected health information. System authentication requires either a 
Common Access Card or Personal Identity Verification Card and personal 
identification number or a unique logon identification and password. 
Passwords must be renewed every sixty (60) days. Authorized personnel 
must have appropriate Information Assurance, HIPAA, and Privacy Act of 
1974 training.''

Retention and disposal:
    Delete entry and replace with ``Close an individual's records after 
the last episode of care; records are deleted 20 years after the last 
episode of care.''

System manager(s) and address:
    Delete entry and replace with ``Director of Technology, Department 
of Defense/Department of Veterans Affairs Vision Center of Excellence, 
2900 Crystal Drive, Suite 210, Arlington, VA 22202-3557.''

Notification procedure:
    Delete entry and replace with ``Individuals seeking to determine 
whether information about themselves is contained in this system of 
records should address written inquiries to the Chief, Freedom of 
Information Act (FOIA) Service Center, Defense Health Agency Privacy 
and Civil Liberties Office, 7700 Arlington Boulevard, Suite 5101, Falls 
Church, VA 22042-5101.
    Requests should contain the individual's full name, DoD ID Number, 
current address, telephone number, the name and number of this system 
of records notice, and be signed.''

Record access procedures:
    Delete entry and replace with ``Individuals seeking access to 
records about themselves contained in this system of records should 
address written inquiries to the Chief, FOIA Service Center, Defense 
Health Agency Privacy and Civil Liberties Office, 7700 Arlington 
Boulevard, Suite 5101, Falls Church, VA 22042-5101.
    Requests should contain the individual's full name, DoD ID Number,

[[Page 48733]]

current address, telephone number, the name and number of this system 
of records notice, and be signed.''

Contesting record procedures:
    Delete entry and replace with ``The Office of the Secretary of 
Defense (OSD) rules for accessing records, contesting contents, and 
appealing initial agency determinations are published in OSD 
Administrative Instruction 81; 32 CFR Part 311; or may be obtained from 
the system manager.''

Record source categories:
    Delete entry and replace with ``The Defense Enrollment Eligibility 
Reporting System; medical treatment records maintained at DoD military 
treatment facilities, VA medical care facilities, and rehabilitation 
facilities contracted by DoD and/or VA to perform medical care; VA Eye 
Injury Data Store (also called the VA Eye Injury Registry); the 
Clinical Data Repository; AHLTA; Theater Medical Data Store; Joint 
Theater Trauma Registry; the Pharmacy Data Transaction Service; the 
Service Medical Evaluation Boards; and the Combat Trauma Registry.''
* * * * *
[FR Doc. 2014-19561 Filed 8-15-14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 5001-06-P