[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 139 (Thursday, July 19, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 34137-34138]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-15390]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Food and Drug Administration

[Docket No. FDA-2016-D-1224]


Use of Electronic Health Record Data in Clinical Investigations; 
Guidance for Industry; Availability

AGENCY: Food and Drug Administration, HHS.

ACTION: Notice of availability.

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SUMMARY: The Food and Drug Administration (FDA or Agency) is announcing 
the availability of a final guidance for industry entitled ``Use of 
Electronic Health Record Data in Clinical Investigations.'' The 
guidance provides recommendations for sponsors, clinical investigators, 
contract research organizations (CROs), institutional review boards 
(IRBs), and other interested parties on the use of electronic health 
record (EHR) data in FDA-regulated clinical investigations. The 
guidance finalizes the draft guidance issued in May 2016.

DATES: The announcement of the guidance is published in the Federal 
Register on July 19, 2018.

ADDRESSES: You may submit either electronic or written comments on 
Agency guidances at any time as follows:

Electronic Submissions

    Submit electronic comments in the following way:
     Federal eRulemaking Portal: https://www.regulations.gov. 
Follow the instructions for submitting comments. Comments submitted 
electronically, including attachments, to https://www.regulations.gov 
will be posted to the docket unchanged. Because your comment will be 
made public, you are solely responsible for ensuring that your comment 
does not include any confidential information that you or a third party 
may not wish to be posted, such as medical information, your or anyone 
else's Social Security number, or confidential business information, 
such as a manufacturing process. Please note that if you include your 
name, contact information, or other information that identifies you in 
the body of your comments, that information will be posted on https://www.regulations.gov.
     If you want to submit a comment with confidential 
information that you do not wish to be made available to the public, 
submit the comment as a written/paper submission and in the manner 
detailed (see ``Written/Paper Submissions'' and ``Instructions'').

Written/Paper Submissions

    Submit written/paper submissions as follows:
     Mail/Hand delivery/Courier (for written/paper 
submissions): Dockets Management Staff (HFA-305), Food and Drug 
Administration, 5630 Fishers Lane, Rm. 1061, Rockville, MD 20852.
     For written/paper comments submitted to the Dockets 
Management Staff, FDA will post your comment, as well as any 
attachments, except for information submitted, marked and identified, 
as confidential, if submitted as detailed in ``Instructions.''
    Instructions: All submissions received must include the Docket No. 
FDA-2016-D-1224 for ``Use of Electronic Health Record Data in Clinical 
Investigations; Guidance for Industry; Availability.'' Received 
comments will be placed in the docket and, except for those submitted 
as ``Confidential Submissions,'' publicly viewable at https://www.regulations.gov or at the Dockets Management Staff office between 9 
a.m. and 4 p.m., Monday through Friday.
     Confidential Submissions--To submit a comment with 
confidential information that you do not wish to be

[[Page 34138]]

made publicly available, submit your comments only as a written/paper 
submission. You should submit two copies total. One copy will include 
the information you claim to be confidential with a heading or cover 
note that states ``THIS DOCUMENT CONTAINS CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION.'' 
The Agency will review this copy, including the claimed confidential 
information, in its consideration of comments. The second copy, which 
will have the claimed confidential information redacted/blacked out, 
will be available for public viewing and posted on https://www.regulations.gov. Submit both copies to the Dockets Management 
Staff. If you do not wish your name and contact information to be made 
publicly available, you can provide this information on the cover sheet 
and not in the body of your comments and you must identify this 
information as ``confidential.'' Any information marked as 
``confidential'' will not be disclosed except in accordance with 21 CFR 
10.20 and other applicable disclosure law. For more information about 
FDA's posting of comments to public dockets, see 80 FR 56469, September 
18, 2015, or access the information at: https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2015-09-18/pdf/2015-23389.pdf.
    Docket: For access to the docket to read background documents or 
the electronic and written/paper comments received, go to https://www.regulations.gov and insert the docket number, found in brackets in 
the heading of this document, into the ``Search'' box and follow the 
prompts and/or go to the Dockets Management Staff, 5630 Fishers Lane, 
Rm. 1061, Rockville, MD 20852.
    You may submit comments on any guidance at any time (see 21 CFR 
10.115(g)(5)).
    Submit written requests for single copies of the guidance to the 
Division of Drug Information, Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, 
Food and Drug Administration, 10001 New Hampshire Ave., Hillandale 
Building, 4th Floor, Silver Spring, MD 20993-0002; or the Office of 
Communication, Outreach and Development, Center for Biologics 
Evaluation and Research (CBER), Food and Drug Administration, 10903 New 
Hampshire Ave., Bldg. 71, Rm. 3128, Silver Spring, MD 20993-0002; or 
the Office of the Center Director, Guidance and Policy Development, 
Center for Devices and Radiological Health, Food and Drug 
Administration, 10903 New Hampshire Ave., Bldg. 66, Rm. 5431, Silver 
Spring, MD 20993-0002. Send one self-addressed adhesive label to assist 
the office in processing your requests. See the SUPPLEMENTARY 
INFORMATION section for electronic access to the guidance document.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Cheryl Grandinetti, Center for Drug 
Evaluation and Research, Food and Drug Administration, 10903 New 
Hampshire Ave., Bldg. 51, Rm. 3348, Silver Spring, MD 20993-0002, 301-
796-2500, [email protected]; Stephen Ripley, Center for 
Biologics Evaluation and Research, Food and Drug Administration, 10903 
New Hampshire Ave., Bldg. 71, Rm. 7301, Silver Spring, MD 20993-0002, 
240-402-7911, [email protected]; or Bakul Patel, Center for Devices and 
Radiological Health, Food and Drug Administration, 10903 New Hampshire 
Ave., Bldg. 66, Rm. 5458, Silver Spring, MD 20993-0002, 1-800-638-2041 
or 301-796-5528, [email protected] or [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Background

    FDA is announcing the availability of a guidance for industry 
entitled ``Use of Electronic Health Record Data in Clinical 
Investigations.'' The guidance is intended to assist sponsors, clinical 
investigators, CROs, IRBs, and other interested parties on the use of 
EHR data in FDA-regulated clinical investigations. In an effort to 
modernize and streamline clinical investigations, the goals of the 
guidance are to facilitate the use of EHR data in clinical 
investigations and to promote the interoperability of EHR and EDC 
systems.
    In the Federal Register of May 17, 2016 (81 FR 30540), FDA 
announced the availability of the draft guidance. FDA received numerous 
comments on the draft guidance, and those comments were considered as 
the guidance was finalized. A summary of changes includes clarifying 
the following: (1) The types of clinical investigations using EHR data 
as source data that fall under the scope of the guidance; (2) 
recommendations on the use of EHR and EDC systems that are 
interoperable or fully integrated; (3) recommendations on the use of 
certified and noncertified EHR technology; (4) how electronic source 
data principles apply to EHR data used as source data; and (5) 
inspection, recordkeeping, and record retention requirements. This 
guidance finalizes the draft guidance issued in May 2016.
    This guidance is being issued consistent with FDA's good guidance 
practices regulation (21 CFR 10.115). The guidance represents the 
current thinking of FDA on ``Use of Electronic Health Record Data in 
Clinical Investigations.'' It does not establish any rights for any 
person and is not binding on FDA or the public. You can use an 
alternative approach if it satisfies the requirements of the applicable 
statutes and regulations. This guidance is not subject to Executive 
Order 12866.

II. Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995

    This guidance refers to previously approved collections of 
information found in FDA regulations. These collections of information 
are subject to review by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) 
under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501-3520). The 
guidance pertains to sponsors, clinical investigators, CROs, IRBs, and 
other interested parties who use EHR data as electronic source data in 
FDA-regulated clinical investigations and who send certain information 
to FDA or others or who keep certain records and make them available to 
FDA inspectors. The collections of information in 21 CFR part 11 have 
been approved under OMB control number 0910-0303; the collections of 
information in 21 CFR part 50 have been approved under OMB control 
number 0910-0755; the collections of information in 21 CFR part 312 
have been approved under OMB control number 0910-0014; and the 
collections of information in 21 CFR 812.140 have been approved under 
OMB control number 0910-0078. The use of EHRs as a source of data, as 
described in the guidance, would not result in any new costs, including 
capital costs or operating and maintenance costs, because sponsors and 
others already have experience and are experienced with using computer-
based equipment and software necessary to be consistent with the 
guidance.

III. Electronic Access

    Persons with access to the internet may obtain the guidance at 
https://www.fda.gov/Drugs/GuidanceComplianceRegulatoryInformation/Guidances/default.htm, https://www.fda.gov/BiologicsBloodVaccines/GuidanceComplianceRegulatoryInformation/Guidances/default.htm, https://www.fda.gov/MedicalDevices/DeviceRegulationandGuidance/GuidanceDocuments/default.htm, or https://www.regulations.gov.

    Dated: July 13, 2018.
Leslie Kux,
Associate Commissioner for Policy.
[FR Doc. 2018-15390 Filed 7-18-18; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4164-01-P