[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 242 (Tuesday, December 19, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 87788-87789]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-27868]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

[Document Identifier: OS-0955-0019]


Agency Information Collection Request; 60-Day Public Comment 
Request

AGENCY: Office of the Secretary, HHS.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: In compliance with the requirement of the Paperwork Reduction 
Act of 1995, the Office of the Secretary (OS), Department of Health and 
Human Services, is publishing the following summary of a proposed 
collection for public comment.

DATES: Comments on the ICR must be received on or before February 20, 
2024.

ADDRESSES: Submit your comments to [email protected] or by calling 
(202) 264-0041 and [email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: When submitting comments or requesting 
information, please include the document identifier 0955-0019 and 
project title for reference, to Sherrette A. Funn, email: 
[email protected], [email protected] or call (202) 264-0041 the Reports 
Clearance Officer.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Interested persons are invited to send 
comments regarding this burden estimate or any other aspect of this 
collection of information, including any of the following subjects: (1) 
The necessity and utility of the proposed information collection for 
the proper performance of the agency's functions; (2) the accuracy of 
the estimated burden; (3) ways to enhance the quality, utility, and 
clarity of the information to be collected; and (4) the use of 
automated collection techniques or other forms of information 
technology to minimize the information collection burden.
    Title of the Collection: National Survey of Health Information 
Exchange Organizations (HIO).
    Type of Collection: Revision of a previously approved collection.
    OMB No.: 0955-0019.
    Abstract: Under the Department of Health and Human Services, Office 
of National Coordinator for Health Information and Technology, 
Electronic health information exchange (HIE) was one of three goals 
specified by Congress in the 2009 Health Information Technology for 
Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act to ensure that the $30 
billion federal investment in certified electronic health records 
(EHRs) resulted in higher-quality, lower-cost care. Subsequent 
legislation and regulations have continued to prioritize the sharing of 
data electronically across EHRs and other health information systems. 
Health information exchange organizations (HIOs) play a pivotal role 
facilitating health information exchange across disparate providers, 
labs, pharmacies, public health departments, and others. This 
information collection request will gather data from HIOs across the 
nation through the administration of a survey of HIOs to generate the 
most current national statistics and associated actionable insights to 
inform policy efforts. The timely collection of national data from our 
survey will assess current capabilities of HIOs to support effective 
electronic information sharing within the U.S. healthcare system.
    Since prior to HITECH there has been ongoing assessment of trends 
in the capabilities of HIOs to support clinical exchange through 
nationwide surveys of HIOs. These prior surveys and studies have 
collected data on organizational structure, financial viability, 
geographic coverage, scope of services, scope of participants, 
perceptions of information blocking, support for public health 
exchange, and participation in national networks and the Technical 
Exchange Framework and Common Agreement (TEFCA). Continuing the ongoing 
data collection will be useful to construct a current and comprehensive 
picture of HIOs' role in facilitating exchange and ensuring rapid 
access to important health care data and information when it matters 
most, including vital data to address public health emergencies.
    The survey will collect data on HIO capabilities to support 
electronic health information exchange, their maturity, and challenges 
they face. There are five key areas that require assessment: (1) 
adoption of technical standards; (2) perceptions related to information 
blocking; (3) HIE coordination at the federal level; (4) public health 
data exchange; and (5) organizational demographics, including technical 
capabilities offered by HIOs and the challenges they face in supporting 
electronic health information exchange.
    This is a 3-year request for OMB approval.

                                          Annualized Burden Hour Table
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                                                                     Number of        Average
     Forms (if necessary)       Respondents  (if     Number of     responses per    burden per     Total burden
                                   necessary)       respondents     respondents      response          hours
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                                U.S. based                   100               1           45/60              75
                                 public and
                                 private HIOs.
                                                 ---------------------------------------------------------------
    Total.....................  ................  ..............               1  ..............              75
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[[Page 87789]]

Sherrette A. Funn,
Paperwork Reduction Act Reports Clearance Officer, Office of the 
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2023-27868 Filed 12-18-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4150-45-P