[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 141 (Tuesday, July 25, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Page 34543]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-15566]



[[Page 34543]]

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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES


Notification Process for Availability of Test Tools and Test 
Procedures Approved by the National Coordinator for the ONC Health IT 
Certification Program IT Certification Program

AGENCY: Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information 
Technology (ONC), Department of Health and Human Services.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: This notice announces a change in the notification process for 
the availability of test tools and test procedures approved by the 
National Coordinator for Health Information Technology for the testing 
of health IT under the ONC Health IT Certification Program.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Alicia Morton, Director, ONC Health IT 
Certification Program, Office of the National Coordinator for Health 
Information Technology, 202-690-7151.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On January 7, 2011, the Department of Health 
and Human Services issued a final rule establishing a permanent 
certification program for the purposes of testing and certifying health 
information technology (``Establishment of the Permanent Certification 
Program for Health Information Technology,'' (76 FR 1262) (``Permanent 
Certification Program final rule'')). The Permanent Certification 
Program was renamed the ONC HIT Certification Program in a final rule 
published on September 4, 2012 (77 FR 54163) (``2014 Edition final 
rule''), and subsequently renamed the ONC Health IT Certification 
Program (``Program'') in a final rule published on October 16, 2015 (80 
FR 62601) (``2015 Edition final rule''). In the preamble ofthe 
Permanent Certification Program final rule, we stated that when the 
National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (National 
Coordinator) had approved test tools and test procedures for 
certification criteria adopted by the Secretary, ONC would publish a 
notice of availability in the Federal Register and identify the 
approved test tools and test procedures on the ONC Web site.
    The public notification of the availability of approved test tools 
and test procedures is an operational aspect of the process ONC adopted 
in rulemaking for approving test tools and test procedures. To date, we 
have found that health IT stakeholders prefer to be notified via ONC's 
normal communication channels (listserv and Web site updates) and more 
frequently visit the ONC Health IT Certification Program's Web page for 
up-to-date Program information. Thus, to improve the efficiency and 
effectiveness of Program operations, ONC will now begin notifying the 
public of the availability of approved test tools and test procedures 
via our listserv. ONC will also continue to identify approved test 
tools and test procedures on the ONC Web site, including test data 
approved for the testing ofhealth IT under the Program (76 FR 1280 and 
80 FR 32477). The new approach will enable ONC to more effectively and 
timely reach interested parties, particularly health IT developers. 
Health IT developers and other interested parties can sign up for the 
Program listserv at https://public. govdelivery.cornlaccounts/USHHSONC/
subscriber/new?category id=USHHSONC C8.

    Authority:  42 U.S.C. 300jj-11.

    Dated: July 13, 2017.
Donald W. Rucker,
National Coordinator for Health Information Technology.
[FR Doc. 2017-15566 Filed 7-24-17; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4150-45-P