[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 235 (Monday, December 8, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 72690-72692]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-28650]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Health Resources and Services Administration


Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection: 
Public Comment Request

AGENCY: Health Resources and Services Administration, HHS.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: In compliance with the requirement for opportunity for public 
comment on proposed data collection projects (Section 3506(c)(2)(A) of 
the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995), the Health Resources and Services 
Administration (HRSA) announces plans to submit an Information 
Collection Request (ICR), described

[[Page 72691]]

below, to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). Prior to 
submitting the ICR to OMB, HRSA seeks comments from the public 
regarding the burden estimate, below, or any other aspect of the ICR.

DATES: Comments on this Information Collection Request must be received 
no later than February 6, 2015.

ADDRESSES: Submit your comments to [email protected] or mail the HRSA 
Information Collection Clearance Officer, Room 10C-03, Parklawn 
Building, 5600 Fishers Lane, Rockville, MD 20857.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: To request more information on the 
proposed project or to obtain a copy of the data collection plans and 
draft instruments, email [email protected] or call the HRSA 
Information Collection Clearance Officer at (301) 443-1984.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: When submitting comments or requesting 
information, please include the information request collection title 
for reference.
    Information Collection Request Title: National Practitioner Data 
Bank for Adverse Information on Physicians and Other Health Care 
Practitioners--45 CFR part 60 Regulations and Forms OMB No. 0915-0126--
Revision
    Abstract: This is a request for a revision of OMB approval of the 
information collection contained in regulations found at 45 CFR part 60 
governing the National Practitioner Data Bank (NPDB) and the forms to 
be used in registering with, reporting information to, and requesting 
information from the NPDB. Administrative forms are also included to 
aid in monitoring compliance with federal reporting and querying 
requirements. Responsibility for NPDB implementation and operation 
resides in the Bureau of Health Workforce, Health Resources and 
Services Administration (HRSA), Department of Health and Human Services 
(HHS).
    The intent of the NPDB is to improve the quality of health care by 
encouraging hospitals, state licensing boards, professional societies, 
and other entities providing health care services to identify and 
discipline those who engage in unprofessional behavior, and to restrict 
the ability of incompetent health care practitioners, providers, or 
suppliers to move from state to state without disclosure of previous 
damaging or incompetent performance. It also serves as a fraud and 
abuse clearinghouse for the reporting and disclosing of certain final 
adverse actions (excluding settlements in which no findings of 
liability have been made) taken against health care practitioners, 
providers, or suppliers by health plans, federal agencies, and state 
agencies.
    The reporting forms, request for information forms (query forms), 
and administrative forms (used to monitor compliance) are accessed, 
completed, and submitted to the NPDB electronically through the NPDB 
Web site at http://www.npdb.hrsa.gov/. All reporting and querying is 
performed through this secure Web site.
    Need and Proposed Use of the Information: The NPDB acts primarily 
as a flagging system; its principal purpose is to facilitate 
comprehensive review of practitioners' professional credentials and 
background. Information is collected from, and disseminated to, 
eligible entities (entities that are entitled to query and/or report to 
the NPDB as authorized in Title 45 part 60 of the Code of Federal 
Regulations) on the following: (1) Medical malpractice payments, (2) 
licensure actions taken by Boards of Medical Examiners, (3) state 
licensure and certification actions, (4) federal licensure and 
certification actions, (5) negative actions or findings taken by peer 
review organizations or private accreditation entities, (6) adverse 
actions taken against clinical privileges, (7) federal or state 
criminal convictions related to the delivery of a health care item or 
service, (8) civil judgments related to the delivery of a health care 
item or service, (9) exclusions from participation in federal or state 
health care programs, and (10) other adjudicated actions or decisions. 
It is intended that NPDB information should be considered with other 
relevant information in evaluating credentials of health care 
practitioners, providers, and suppliers.
    Likely Respondents: Eligible entities that are entitled to query 
and/or report to the NPDB as authorized in regulations found at 45 CFR 
part 60.
    Burden Statement: Burden in this context means the time expended by 
persons to generate, maintain, retain, disclose or provide the 
information requested. This includes the time needed to review 
instructions; to develop, acquire, install and utilize technology and 
systems for the purpose of collecting, validating and verifying 
information, processing and maintaining information, and disclosing and 
providing information; to train personnel and to be able to respond to 
a collection of information; to search data sources; to complete and 
review the collection of information; and to transmit or otherwise 
disclose the information. The total annual burden hours estimated for 
this Information Collection Request are summarized in the table below.

                                                         Total Estimated Annualized Burden Hours
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                                                                                                                              Average
                                                                             Number of     Responses per       Total        burden per     Total burden
          Regulation citation                       Form name               respondents     respondent       responses     response  (in       hours
                                                                                                                              hours)
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Sec.   60.6: Reporting errors,           Correction, Revision to Action,          20,482               1          20,482             .25           5,121
 omissions, revisions or whether an       Correction of Revision to
 action is on appeal.                     Action, Void, Notice of Appeal
                                          (manual).
                                         Correction, Revision to Action,          17,185               1          17,185           .0003               5
                                          Correction of Revision to
                                          Action, Void, Notice of Appeal
                                          (automated).
Sec.   60.7: Reporting medical           Medical Malpractice Payment              12,613               1          12,613             .75           9,460
 malpractice payments.                    (manual).
                                         Medical Malpractice Payment                 250               1             250           .0003              .1
                                          (automated).
Sec.   60.8: Reporting licensure         State Licensure (manual).......          16,770               1          16,770             .75          12,578
 actions taken by Boards of Medical      State Licensure (automated)....          17,422               1          17,422           .0003               5
 Examiners & Sec.   60.9: Reporting
 licensure and certification actions
 taken by States.
Sec.   60.10: Reporting Federal          DEA/Federal Licensure..........             114               1             114             .75              86
 licensure and certification actions.

[[Page 72692]]

 
Sec.   60.11: Reporting negative         Peer Review Organization.......              10               1              10             .75               8
 actions or findings taken by peer       Accreditation..................              12               1              12             .75               9
 review organizations or private
 accreditation entities.
Sec.   60.12: Reporting adverse actions  Title IV Clinical Privileges                671               1             671             .75             503
 taken against clinical privileges.       Actions.                                    50               1              50             .75              38
                                         Professional Society...........
Sec.   60.13: Reporting Federal or       Criminal Conviction (Guilty               1,308               1           1,308             .75             981
 State criminal convictions related to    Plea or Trial) (manual).                   937               1             937           .0003              .3
 the delivery of a health care item or   Criminal Conviction (Guilty
 service.                                 Plea or Trial) (automated).
                                         Deferred Conviction or Pre-                  50               1              50             .75              38
                                          Trial Diversion.
                                         Nolo Contendere (No Contest)                 80               1              80             .75              60
                                          Plea.
                                         Injunction.....................              10               1              10             .75               8
Sec.   60.14: Reporting civil judgments  Civil Judgment.................              14               1              14             .75              11
 related to the delivery of a health
 care item or service.
Sec.   60.15: Reporting exclusions from  Exclusion/Debarment (manual)...           1,185               1           1,185             .75             889
 participation in Federal or State       Exclusion/Debarment (automated)           5,094               1           5,094           .0003               2
 health care programs.
Sec.   60.16: Reporting other            Government Administrative......           2,233               1           2,233             .75           1,675
 adjudicated actions or decisions.       Health Plan Action.............             524               1             524             .75             393
Sec.   60.18 Requesting Information      One Time Query for an                 1,980,825               1       1,980,825             .08         158,466
 from the NPDB.                           Individual (manual).
                                         One Time Query for an                 2,163,208               1       2,163,208           .0003             649
                                          Individual (automated).
                                         One Time Query for an                    39,920               1          39,920             .08           3,194
                                          Organization (manual).
                                         One Time Query for an                     2,266               1           2,266           .0003               1
                                          Organization (automated).
                                         Self-Query on an Individual....          77,318               1          77,318             .42          30,201
                                         Self-Query on an Organization..             427               1             427             .42             167
                                         Continuous Query (manual)......         508,203               1         508,203             .08          40,656
                                         Continuous Query (automated)...         121,718               1         121,718           .0003              37
Sec.   60.21: How to dispute the         Subject Statement and Dispute..           3,501               1           3,501             .75           2,626
 accuracy of NPDB information.           Request for Dispute Resolution.              94               1              94               8             752
Administrative.........................  Non-Hospital Entity                         524               1             524               1             524
                                          Registration (Initial).
                                         Non-Hospital Entity                       6,383               1           6,383             .25           1,596
                                          Registration (Renewal &
                                          Update).
                                         Hospital Registration (Initial)              37               1              37               1              37
                                         Hospital Registration (Renewal            3,198               1           3,198             .25             800
                                          & Update).
                                         Licensing Board Data Request...             140               1             140            10.5           1,470
                                         Reporting Entity Discrepancy                389               1             389               4            1556
                                          Letter.
                                         Licensing Board Attestation....             354               1             354               1             354
                                         Corrective Action Plan.........              10               1              10             .08               1
                                         Reconciling Missing Actions....           2,176               1           2,176             .08             174
                                         Agent Registration (Initial)...              30               1              30               1              30
                                         Agent Registration (Renewal &               194               1             194             .08              16
                                          Update).
                                         Electronic Transfer of Funds                566               1             566             .08              45
                                          (EFT) Authorization.
                                         Authorized Agent Designation...             788               1             788             .25             197
                                         Account Discrepancy............              41               1              41             .25              10
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    Total..............................  ...............................       5,009,324  ..............       5,009,324  ..............         275,429
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    HRSA specifically requests comments on (1) the necessity and 
utility of the proposed information collection for the proper 
performance of the agency's functions, (2) the accuracy of the 
estimated burden, (3) ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity 
of the information to be collected, and (4) the use of automated 
collection techniques or other forms of information technology to 
minimize the information collection burden.

Jackie Painter,
Acting Director, Division of Policy and Information Coordination.
[FR Doc. 2014-28650 Filed 12-5-14; 8:45 am]
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