[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 3 (Wednesday, January 5, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Pages 492-493]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-28193]


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OFFICE OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY POLICY


Request for Information (RFI) on Strengthening Community Health 
Through Technology

AGENCY: White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP).

ACTION: Notice of RFI.

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SUMMARY: The White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) 
requests input from community health stakeholders, technology 
developers, and other interested parties about how digital health 
technologies are used, or could be used in the future, to transform 
community health, individual wellness, and health equity. This request 
is part of an initiative led by OSTP dedicated to Community Connected 
Health--an effort that will explore and act upon how innovation in 
science and technology can lower the barriers for all Americans to 
accessing quality healthcare and lead healthier lives by meeting people 
where they are in their communities. We are particularly interested in 
information from community-based health settings and about populations 
traditionally underserved by healthcare. To support this effort, OSTP 
seeks information about: Successful models of strengthening community 
health through digital health technologies within the United States and 
abroad, barriers to uptake, trends from the COVID-19 pandemic, how user 
experience is measured, need for tools and training, ideas for 
potential government action, and effects on health equity.

DATES: Interested persons and organizations are invited to submit 
comments on or before 5:00 p.m. ET on February 28, 2022.

ADDRESSES: Interested individuals and organizations should submit 
comments electronically to [email protected] and include 
``Connected Health RFI'' in the subject line of the email. While email 
is preferred, brief voicemail messages may be left at 202-456-3030. Due 
to time constraints, mailed paper submissions will not be accepted, and 
electronic submissions received after the deadline cannot be ensured to 
be incorporated or taken into consideration.

Instructions

    Response to this RFI is voluntary. Each responding entity 
(individual or organization) is requested to submit only one response. 
OSTP welcomes responses to inform and guide policies and actions 
related to strengthening community health through digital health 
technologies. Please feel free to respond to one or as many prompts as 
you choose. Please be concise with your submissions, which must not 
exceed 3 pages in 12-point or larger font, with a page number provided 
on each page. Responses should include the name of the person(s) or 
organization(s) filing the comment. OSTP invites input from all 
stakeholders including members of the public, representing all 
backgrounds and perspectives. In particular, OSTP is interested in 
input from community health workers (CHWs) and CHW organizations of all 
kinds; social workers; maternal health workers; telehealth navigators; 
peer recovery specialists; healthcare providers (please further 
specify); faith and community-based organizations; community health 
centers; State, local, tribal, and territorial governments; academic 
researchers; technology developers; global partners; health insurance 
providers; and individuals who have used, or are interested in using, 
digital health technologies or telehealth services. Please indicate 
which of these stakeholder type best fits you as a respondent. If a 
comment is submitted on behalf of an organization, the individual 
respondent's role in the organization may also be provided on a 
voluntary basis. Comments containing references, studies, research, and 
other empirical data that are not widely published should include 
copies or electronic links of the referenced materials. No business 
proprietary information, copyrighted information, or personally 
identifiable information should be submitted in response to this RFI. 
Please be aware that comments submitted in response to this RFI may be 
posted on OSTP's website or otherwise released publicly.
    In accordance with Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 15.202(3), 
responses to this notice are not offers and cannot be accepted by the 
Federal Government to form a binding contract. Additionally, those 
submitting responses are solely responsible for all expenses associated 
with response preparation.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For additional information, please 
direct questions to Jacqueline Ward at [email protected] or 
leave by voicemail at 202-456-3030.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 
    Background: Despite decades of investment in the digital health 
ecosystem, the COVID-19 pandemic illuminated continuing, substantial 
limitations in the U.S. healthcare systems, including profound 
disparities in healthcare and associated poorer health outcomes within 
certain communities. Yet the pandemic has also provided an opportunity 
for innovation in healthcare delivery across the U.S. and 
internationally, particularly in community-based settings. As part of 
OSTP's mission to maximize the benefits of science and technology to 
advance health and our charge to drive innovation in healthcare and 
improve health for all Americans, we are seeking

[[Page 493]]

information and comments about how digital health technologies are 
used, or could be used in the future, to improve community health, 
individual wellness, and health equity. Community health, defined as 
the collective influence of socioeconomic factors, physical 
environment, health behaviors, and availability of quality clinical 
care services, serves as one of the most important drivers of health 
and wellness for all Americans. This request is part of an initiative 
dedicated to Community Connected Health--an effort that will explore 
and act upon how innovation in science and technology can lower the 
barriers to access quality healthcare and lead healthier lives by 
meeting people where they are in their communities.
    Scope and terminology: OSTP invites input from all interested 
parties as outlined in the instructions. The term `digital health 
technologies' should be interpreted broadly as any tool or set of tools 
that improve health or enable better healthcare delivery by connecting 
people with other people, with data, or with health information. 
Examples of this include but are not limited to: Telehealth, remote 
patient monitoring devices, health trackers, mobile devices (e.g., 
smart phones, tablets), mobile health apps, and technologies for 
managing health information including electronic health records.
    Information Requested: Respondents may provide information for one 
or as many topics below as they choose.
    1. Successful models within the U.S.: Descriptions of innovative 
examples or models of how community health providers within the United 
States successfully use digital health technology to deliver 
healthcare, enable healthier lifestyles, or reduce health disparities. 
This can include: The key features of the organizations and/or the 
digital health technologies that have been most successful, what is 
needed to support the scale up beyond individual organizations, 
examples of best practices, examples of important user protections to 
institute (e.g., privacy best practices), examples of positive user 
experiences, metrics or measurement strategies of how community health 
providers measure outcomes or success, and creative ideas or models 
that may be in nascent stages.
    2. Barriers: Specific descriptions of the current barriers faced by 
individuals or organizations to the use of digital health technologies 
in community-based settings. It would be very helpful for respondents 
to indicate how these barriers may align to the following broad 
categories: Technical (including broadband access), training, costs, 
reimbursement/policies, buy-in across organization or community, user 
education/comfort, or other. In the case of barriers that include user 
comfort/willingness to use the technology, it would be useful for 
respondents to detail any concerns users might have such as privacy, 
security, discrimination, the effectiveness of the technology, or other 
such concerns.
    3. Trends from the pandemic: Impressions or data reflecting how the 
use of digital health technologies (including the use of telemedicine) 
has changed over the course of the pandemic by individuals, community-
based organizations, and in community-based health settings. This 
includes impressions of what is likely to continue, or not, after the 
end of the public health emergency or COVID-19 pandemic.
    4. User experience: Descriptions of how technology developers, 
community-based healthcare providers, or other community-based 
stakeholders consider and/or assess the patient and client experience 
in the use of health technologies. This includes direct experiences 
from individuals and patients who have used digital health 
technologies. We welcome descriptions of how digital health 
technologies could be better designed with the user experience (e.g., 
community health workers, healthcare providers, or patients) in mind, 
as well as aspects of the user experience that could be changed to help 
remove barriers due to willingness to use (e.g., privacy protections).
    5. Tool and training needs: Information about the current 
technological tools, equipment, and infrastructure needs of community 
health workers and other community-based health providers. Descriptions 
about what is needed to train and/or certify community health 
organizations and workers on the use of digital health technologies for 
their work are also welcome.
    6. Proposed government actions: Opportunities for the Federal 
Government to support the transformation of community health settings 
through the uptake of innovative digital health technologies and 
telemedicine at the community level. Please specify whether these 
opportunities could take place in the immediate future (i.e., 0-2 
years), in the next 5 years, in the next 10 years or beyond.
    7. Health Equity: Information about how digital health technologies 
have been used, or could be used, in community-based settings to drive 
towards a reduction in health disparities or achieving health equity. 
This could include any concerns about the health equity impacts of 
digital health technologies
    8. International models: Examples from outside of the United 
States, particularly from low or middle-income countries, that 
exemplify innovation at the intersection of healthcare delivery and 
technology. This can include: The key features of the organizations 
and/or the digital health technologies that have been most successful, 
what is needed to support the scale up beyond individual organizations, 
examples of best practices, examples of important user protections to 
institute (e.g., privacy best practices), examples of positive user 
experiences, metrics of how community health providers measure outcomes 
or success, and creative ideas or models that may be in nascent stages. 
We encourage responses that extrapolate to how these international 
models could be applied within the United States healthcare system.

Stacy Murphy,
Operations Manager.
[FR Doc. 2021-28193 Filed 1-4-22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3270-F2-P