[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 4 (Tuesday, January 7, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 711-712]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-00019]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality


Solicitation for Nominations for Members of the U.S. Preventive 
Services Task Force (USPSTF)

AGENCY: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), HHS.

ACTION: Solicits nominations for new members of the USPSTF.

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SUMMARY: The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) invites 
nominations of individuals qualified to serve as members of the U.S. 
Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF).

DATES: Nominations must be received in writing or electronically by 
March 15th of a given year to be considered for appointment to begin in 
January of the following year.

ADDRESSES: Submit your responses either electronically or in writing 
to: https://uspstfnominations.ahrq.gov/register, Lydia Hill, ATTN: 
USPSTF Nominations, Center for Evidence and Practice Improvement, 
Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, 5600 Fishers Lane, 
Mailstop: 06E53A, Rockville, Maryland 20857.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:  Lydia Hill at [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Arrangement for Public Inspection

    Nominations and applications are kept on file at the Center for 
Evidence and Practice Improvement, AHRQ, and are available for review 
during business hours. AHRQ does not reply to individual nominations, 
but considers all nominations in selecting members. Information 
regarded as private and personal, such as a nominee's social security 
number, home and email addresses, home telephone and fax numbers, or 
names of family members will not be disclosed to the public in accord 
with the Freedom of Information Act. 5 U.S.C. 552(b)(6); 45 CFR 
5.31(f).

Nomination Submissions

    Nominations must be submitted electronically or in writing, and 
should include:
    1. The applicant's current curriculum vitae and contact 
information, including mailing address, and email address; and
    2. A letter explaining how this individual meets the qualification 
requirements and how he or she would contribute to the USPSTF. The 
letter should also attest to the nominee's willingness to serve as a 
member of the USPSTF.
    AHRQ will later ask people under serious consideration for USPSTF 
membership to provide detailed information that will permit evaluation 
of possible significant conflicts of interest. Such information will 
concern matters such as financial holdings, consultancies, non-
financial scientific interests, and research grants or contracts.
    To obtain a diversity of perspectives, AHRQ particularly encourages 
nominations of women, members of minority populations, and persons with 
disabilities. Interested individuals can nominate themselves. 
Organizations and individuals may nominate one or more people qualified 
for membership on the USPSTF at any time. Individuals nominated prior 
to May 15, 2019, who continue to have interest in serving on the USPSTF 
should be re-nominated.

Qualification Requirements

    To qualify for the USPSTF and support its mission, an applicant or 
nominee should, at a minimum, demonstrate knowledge, expertise and 
national leadership in the following areas:
    1. The critical evaluation of research published in peer-reviewed 
literature and in the methods of evidence review;
    2. Clinical prevention, health promotion and primary health care; 
and
    3. Implementation of evidence-based recommendations in clinical 
practice including at the clinician-patient level, practice level, and 
health-system level.
    Additionally, the Task Force benefits from members with expertise 
in the following areas:

[ssquf] Public Health
[ssquf] Health Equity and The Reduction Of Health Disparities
[ssquf] Application of Science to Health Policy
[ssquf] Dissemination and Implementation
[ssquf] Behavioral Medicine/Clinical Health Psychology
[ssquf] Communication of Scientific Findings to Multiple Audiences 
Including Health Care Professionals, Policy Makers and the General 
Public

    Candidates with experience and skills in any of these areas should 
highlight them in their nomination materials.
    Applicants must have no substantial conflicts of interest, whether 
financial, professional, or intellectual, that would impair the 
scientific integrity of the work of the USPSTF and must be willing to 
complete regular conflict of interest disclosures.
    Applicants must have the ability to work collaboratively with a 
team of diverse professionals who support the mission of the USPSTF. 
Applicants must have adequate time to contribute substantively to the 
work products of the USPSTF.

Nominee Selection

    Nominated individuals will be selected for the USPSTF on the basis 
of how well they meet the required qualifications and the current 
expertise needs of the USPSTF. It is anticipated that new members will 
be invited to serve on the USPSTF beginning in January, 2021. All 
nominated individuals will be considered; however, strongest 
consideration will be given to individuals with demonstrated training 
and expertise in the areas of Family Medicine, Internal Medicine, 
Pediatrics, and Obstetrics and Gynecology. AHRQ will retain and may 
consider for future vacancies nominations received this year and not 
selected during this cycle.
    Some USPSTF members without primary health care clinical experience 
may be selected based on their expertise in methodological issues such 
as meta-analysis, analytic modeling or clinical epidemiology. For 
individuals with clinical expertise in primary health care, additional 
qualifications in methodology would enhance their candidacy.

Background

    Under Title IX of the Public Health Service Act, AHRQ is charged 
with

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enhancing the quality, appropriateness, and effectiveness of health 
care services and access to such services. 42 U.S.C. 299(b). AHRQ 
accomplishes these goals through scientific research and promotion of 
improvements in clinical practice, including clinical prevention of 
diseases and other health conditions. See 42 U.S.C. 299(b).
    The USPSTF, an independent body of experts in prevention and 
evidence-based medicine, works to improve the health of all Americans 
by making evidence-based recommendations about the effectiveness of 
clinical preventive services and health promotion. The recommendations 
made by the USPSTF address clinical preventive services for adults and 
children, and include screening tests, counseling services, and 
preventive medications.
    The USPSTF was first established in 1984 under the auspices of the 
U.S. Public Health Service. Currently, the USPSTF is convened by the 
Director of AHRQ, and AHRQ provides ongoing scientific, administrative, 
and dissemination support for the USPSTF's operation. USPSTF members 
serve four year terms. New members are selected each year to replace 
those members who are completing their appointments.
    The USPSTF is charged with rigorously evaluating the effectiveness, 
appropriateness and cost-effectiveness of clinical preventive services 
and formulating or updating recommendations regarding the appropriate 
provision of preventive services. See 42 U.S.C. 299b-4(a)(1). Current 
USPSTF recommendations and associated evidence reviews are available on 
the internet (www.uspreventiveservicestaskforce.org).
    USPSTF members currently meet three times a year for two days in 
the Washington, DC area. A significant portion of the USPSTF's work 
occurs between meetings during conference calls and via email 
discussions. Member duties include prioritizing topics, designing 
research plans, reviewing and commenting on systematic evidence reviews 
of evidence, discussing and making recommendations on preventive 
services, reviewing stakeholder comments, drafting final recommendation 
documents, and participating in workgroups on specific topics and 
methods. Members can expect to receive frequent emails, can expect to 
participate in multiple conference calls each month, and can expect to 
have periodic interaction with stakeholders. AHRQ estimates that 
members devote approximately 200 hours a year outside of in-person 
meetings to their USPSTF duties. The members are all volunteers and do 
not receive any compensation beyond support for travel to in person 
meetings.

    Dated: January 2, 2020.
Virginia L. Mackay-Smith,
Associate Director.
[FR Doc. 2020-00019 Filed 1-6-20; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4160-90-P