[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 97 (Monday, May 20, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Pages 22848-22849]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-10451]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality


Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; 
Comment Request

AGENCY: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Department of 
Health and Human Services (HHS).

ACTION: Request for information (RFI).

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SUMMARY: The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) requests

[[Page 22849]]

public comments about the impact and use of Evidence-based Practice 
Center (EPC) Program evidence reviews. Members of the public include 
health care delivery organizations, guideline developers, payers, 
quality measure developers, research funders, and other organizations, 
including patient organizations, that have used AHRQ EPC evidence 
reviews.

DATES: Comments must be received by xxxx, 2019.

ADDRESSES: Send responses to [email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: The AHRQ EPC Program at 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Established in 1997, the mission of the EPC 
Program (https://effectivehealthcare.ahrq.gov/about/epc) is to create 
evidence reviews that improve health care by supporting evidence-based 
decision making by patients, providers, and policymakers. Evidence 
reviews summarize and synthesize existing literature and evidence using 
rigorous methods.
    Understanding that knowledge synthesis is, by itself, insufficient 
to change health care practice and improve patient outcomes, the EPC 
Program has relied on partners who are committed to using these 
reports. Over the 20 years of its existence, the EPC Program has 
partnered with clinical professional organizations, federal agencies, 
and other health care organizations. These organizations have used EPC 
evidence reviews for a variety of activities, including developing 
clinical practice guidelines, coverage decisions, program planning, 
funding opportunities and more.
    The EPC Program is committed to innovation and improving the 
utility of its evidence reviews. AHRQ wants to hear specific details 
about how organizations and people have used the information from EPC 
evidence reviews. This is especially important since 2019 is the last 
fiscal year in which funds appropriated to the Patient-Centered 
Outcomes Research Trust Fund, which has funded many EPC evidence 
reviews, will be made available to HHS. Therefore, the EPC Program 
wants to understand the impact of the AHRQ EPC evidence reviews and the 
effectiveness of its partnerships.
    AHRQ seeks feedback:
     From clinical professional societies or other groups who 
used AHRQ EPC evidence reviews for developing guidelines
     From payers who used an AHRQ EPC evidence review to make 
coverage or other decisions
     From health systems who used an AHRQ EPC evidence review 
to change how health care is practiced or delivered
     From research funders who used an AHRQ EPC evidence review 
to set a research agenda
     From other organizations including patient organizations 
that have used AHRQ EPC evidence reviews for various purposes
    Specific questions of interest to AHRQ include, but are not limited 
to:
     How you heard about the AHRQ EPC review
     How you used the AHRQ EPC evidence review
     How the AHRQ EPC evidence review changed your decision, 
recommendation, or action
     What you would have done in the absence of an EPC report
     Was the AHRQ EPC evidence review acknowledged or 
referenced in your decision, recommendation, or action? If so, how? And 
if not, why not?
     Your assessment of the value of the unique contribution 
provided by AHRQ in conducting evidence reviews for improving patient 
care and outcomes
     Based on your experiences, suggestions for how the EPC 
program can make its evidence reviews more useful and impactful
    AHRQ is interested in all of the questions listed above, but 
respondents are welcome to address as many or as few as they choose and 
to address additional areas of interest not listed.
    This RFI is for planning purposes only and should not be construed 
as a policy, solicitation for applications, or as an obligation on the 
part of the Government to provide support for any ideas in response to 
it. AHRQ will use the information submitted in response to this RFI at 
its discretion, and will not provide comments to any respondent's 
submission. However, responses to the RFI may be reflected in future 
solicitation(s) or policies. Respondents are advised that the 
Government is under no obligation to acknowledge receipt of the 
information received or provide feedback to respondents with respect to 
any information submitted. No proprietary, classified, confidential or 
sensitive information should be included in your response. The 
Government reserves the right to use any non-proprietary technical 
information in any resultant solicitation(s). The contents of all 
submissions will be made available to the public upon request. 
Submitted materials must be publicly available or able to be made 
public.

Gopal Khanna,
Director.
[FR Doc. 2019-10451 Filed 5-17-19; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4160-90-P