[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 46 (Thursday, March 8, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 9859-9860]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-04543]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES


Health Information Technology Advisory Committee 2018 Schedule

AGENCY: Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information 
Technology (ONC), HHS.

ACTION: Notice of the Health Information Technology Advisory Committee 
2018 schedule.

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SUMMARY: This notice fulfills obligations under section 3002 of the 
Public Health Service Act (PHSA), as amended by the 21st Century Cures 
Act. Section 3002(b) (5) of the PHSA, as amended, mandates that the 
Health Information Technology Advisory Committee shall develop a 
schedule for the assessment of policy recommendations and the Secretary 
shall publish such schedule in the Federal Register.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Lauren Richie Designated Federal 
Officer, at [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Section 3002 of the Public Health Service 
Act (PHSA), as amended by the 21st Century Cures Act (Pub. L. 114-255), 
establishes the Health Information Technology Advisory Committee 
(HITAC). The HITAC will be governed by the provisions of the Federal 
Advisory Committee Act (Pub. L. 92-463), as amended (5 U.S.C. App.), 
which sets forth standards for the formation and use of federal 
advisory committees. The HITAC, among other things, shall identify 
priorities for standards adoption and make recommendations to the 
National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (National 
Coordinator) on a policy framework to advance an interoperable health 
information technology infrastructure.

Health Information Technology Advisory Committee Schedule

    Section 3002(b)(5) of the PHSA, as amended, provides that the HITAC 
shall develop a schedule for the assessment of policy recommendations 
developed by the HITAC and publish the schedule in the Federal 
Register. This schedule addresses the assessment of recommendations 
outlined in the policy framework recommended by the HITAC to the 
National Coordinator.
    Accordingly, the schedule for the HITAC's assessment of policy 
recommendations is as follows:
    1. Within 90 days of a charge by the National Coordinator for 
recommendations on a matter, identify the best mechanism to organize 
itself to develop recommendations, and at a minimum, will:
    a. Develop an assessment of what policies, standards, 
implementation specifications, and certification criteria are currently 
available to be considered as part of the request;
    b. Consider where gaps exist and identify potential organizations 
that have the capability to address those gaps (i.e., no policy or 
standard is available or harmonization is required because more than 
one standard exists) related to the request; and
    c. Create a timeline, which may also account for the National 
Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) testing, where 
appropriate, and include dates when the HITAC is expected to issue the 
recommendation to the National Coordinator.
    d. Include an opportunity for public comment during the 
consideration by the HITAC of the request by the National Coordinator 
for recommendations on a matter.
    2. In responding to the National Coordinator:
    a. Approve a timeline to deliver recommendations to the National 
Coordinator; and
    b. Establish a task force to conduct analysis and solicit input, 
where appropriate, and develop draft recommendations to be considered 
by the full committee in a timely manner.
    3. In collaboration with NIST, annually and through the use of 
public input, review and publish priorities for the use of health 
information technology, standards, and implementation specifications to 
support those priorities.
    4. Recommend to the National Coordinator for purposes of adoption 
under section 3004, standards, implementation specifications, and 
certification criteria and an order of priority for the development, 
harmonization, and recognition of such standards, specifications, and 
certification criteria. Such recommendations shall include recommended 
standards, architectures, and software schemes for access to electronic 
individually identifiable health information across disparate systems 
including user vetting, authentication, privilege management, and 
access control.
    The topics in which the HITAC is expected to address in FY2018 
include, but may not be limited to the target areas as defined in 
section 3002 of the PHSA, as amended by the 21st Century Cures Act 
(Pub. L. 114-255), and they include:
    1. Achieving a health information technology infrastructure that 
allows for the electronic access, exchange, and use of health 
information ;
    2. The promotion and protection of privacy and security of health 
information in health information technology;
    3. The facilitation of secure access by an individual to such 
individual's protected health information; and
    4. Any other target area that the HITAC identifies as an 
appropriate target area to be considered. [42USC Sec.  300jj (b)(2)(B)]

[[Page 9860]]

    Notice of this meeting is given under section 3002(b)(5) of the 
PHSA, as amended.

    Dated: March 1, 2018.
Lauren Richie,
Branch Chief, Office of Policy, Office of the National Coordinator for 
Health Information Technology.
[FR Doc. 2018-04543 Filed 3-7-18; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4150-45-P