[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 111 (Thursday, June 9, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 33765-33766]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-14112]
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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
CHIPRA Pediatric Quality Measures Program: Request for
Nominations for Expert Panelists
AGENCY: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), HHS.
ACTION: Notice of request for nominations for expert panelists.
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SUMMARY: This notice requests members of the public to nominate experts
to provide individual input into the CHIPRA Pediatric Quality Measures
Program. Section 401(a) of the Children's Health Insurance Program
Reauthorization Act (CHIPRA) of 2009 (Pub. L. 111-3) amended the Social
Security Act (the Act) by adding Section 1139A, which directs the
Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to
establish a Pediatric Quality Measures Program. The purpose of the
Pediatric Quality Measures Program is to (a) Improve and strengthen the
initial core child health care quality measures established pursuant to
Section 1139A(a) of the Act; (b) expand on existing quality measures
used by public and private health care purchasers and advance the
development of such new and emerging quality measures; and (c) increase
the portfolio of evidence-based, consensus pediatric quality measures
available to public and private purchasers of children's health care
services, providers, and consumers. A meeting of the experts will be
held on September 18, 2011, in Bethesda, Maryland. We are seeking
experts who can provide individual comment on the criteria by which new
or enhanced children's health care quality measures will be evaluated.
Expert panels will be convened in subsequent years to evaluate new or
enhanced children's health care quality measures using these criteria.
These evaluations will take place annually before recommended changes
to the core set of children's health care quality measures are
published in the Federal Register on or before January 1, 2013; January
1, 2014; and December 31, 2014. The initial core set of children's
health care quality measures was published December 29, 2009, in Volume
74, No. 248 of the Federal Register.
Section 1139A(b) of the Act identifies several minimum criteria
that the core set of children's health care quality measures must meet
and requires consultation with stakeholders in identifying gaps in
existing pediatric quality measures and establishing priorities for
development and advancement of such measures. AHRQ will convene a group
of experts representing a broad range of stakeholder groups. These
experts will be asked to provide individual comments on the additional
aspects of validity, feasibility, importance, understandability, or
other criteria that should be considered when reviewing quality
measures. They will also be asked to provide individual comments on the
documentation required to provide evidence that each criterion has been
met.
We seek nominations for a panel of 15 experts that will include
representatives from among the following groups: State Medicaid
Programs and Children's Health Insurance Programs (CHIP);
pediatricians, children's hospitals, and other primary and specialized
pediatric health care professionals (including members of the allied
health professions) who specialize in the care and treatment of
children, particularly children with special physical, mental, and
developmental health care needs; dental professionals, including
pediatric dental professionals; health care providers that furnish
primary health care to children and families who live in urban and
rural medically underserved communities or who are members of distinct
population sub-groups at heightened risk for poor health outcomes;
national organizations representing children, including children with
disabilities and children with chronic conditions; national
organizations representing consumers and purchasers of children's
health care; national organizations and individuals with expertise in
pediatric health quality measurement; and voluntary consensus standards
setting organizations and other organizations involved in the
advancement of evidence-based measures of health care. Individuals, who
are affiliated with the CHIPRA PQMP Centers of Excellence as
subcontractors, stakeholders, or key personnel (``affiliated
individuals''), are not eligible to apply. However, other individuals
from entities represented by the affiliated individuals are eligible to
apply.
We are seeking individuals who are distinguished in their knowledge
of health care disparities (e.g., racial and ethnic disparities), child
health quality measurement methods, and the application of health
information technology to quality measurement. Individuals are
particularly sought with experience and success in activities specified
in the summary above.
DATES: Nominations should be received on or before 21 days after date
of publication.
ADDRESSES: Nominations should be e-mailed to chipra@AHRQ.hhs.gov.
Nominations may also be mailed to Edwin Lomotan, AHRQ, 540 Gaither
Road, Room 2202, Rockville, Maryland 20850.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: chipra@AHRQ.hhs.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Section 401(a) of the Children's Health
Insurance Program Reauthorization Act (CHIPRA) of 2009 (Pub. L. 111-3)
amended the Social Security Act (the Act) by adding Section 1139A,
which directs the Secretary of HHS to establish a Pediatric Quality
Measures Program. Section 1139A(b)(3) of the Act provides that the
Secretary of HHS shall consult with various entities in establishing
priorities for development and advancement of children's health care
quality measures. The Secretary delegated this task to the Centers for
Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid
Services (CMS) entered into an Interagency Agreement with the Agency
for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), by which CMS and AHRQ would
collaborate to develop the Pediatric Quality Measures Program.
Under the Pediatric Quality Measures Program, AHRQ has funded seven
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Centers of Excellence through cooperative agreements under the funding
opportunity announcement HS11-001, the CHIPRA PQMP Centers of
Excellence. For more information, see http://www.AHRQ.gov/chipra/PQMPFACT.htm. These seven Centers of Excellence, in concert with two
CMS-funded CHIPRA Quality Demonstration grantee States (Massachusetts
and Illinois), will develop new and enhanced children's health care
quality measures and will participate in the process to identify and
refine criteria by which new or enhanced children's health care quality
measures will be evaluated.
The expected time commitment for expert panelists is up to 3 days.
This includes travel to and from the expert panel meeting to be held on
September 18, 2011, as one of the pre-meetings to the AHRQ Annual
Conference in Bethesda, Maryland; review of materials in advance of the
in-person meeting; and attendance at the full-day in-person meeting on
September 18, 2011.
Interested persons may nominate one or more qualified persons for
the expert panel. Self-nominations are accepted. Nominations shall
include: (1) A copy of the nominee's resume or curriculum vitae; (2) a
statement of the stakeholder group or groups that the nominee would
represent, from among the following: State Medicaid Programs and
Children's Health Insurance Programs (CHIP); pediatricians, children's
hospitals, and other primary and specialized pediatric health care
professionals (including members of the allied health professions) who
specialize in the care and treatment of children, particularly children
with special physical, mental, and developmental health care needs;
dental professionals, including pediatric dental professionals; health
care providers that furnish primary health care to children and
families who live in urban and rural medically underserved communities
or who are members of distinct population sub-groups at heightened risk
for poor health outcomes; national organizations representing children,
including children with disabilities and children with chronic
conditions; national organizations representing consumers and
purchasers of children's health care; national organizations and
individuals with expertise in pediatric health quality measurement; and
voluntary consensus standards setting organizations and other
organizations involved in the advancement of evidence-based measures of
health care; (3) a statement that the nominee is willing to serve as a
member of the expert panel; (4) a statement about any financial
interest, arrangement or affiliation with any entity that may create a
potential conflict of interest for the nominee or his or her family; if
any, please describe the relationship with each entity as either Grant/
Research Support, Consultant, Speakers Bureau, Major Stock Shareholder,
or Other Financial or Material Support; and (5) a statement about any
intellectual interest in a study or other research related to
children's health care quality measures, if any. Please note that once
you are nominated, AHRQ may consider your nomination for future expert
panels related to the Pediatric Quality Measures Program.
AHRQ strives to ensure that membership on expert panels is fairly
balanced in terms of points of view represented and the panel's
function. Every effort is made to ensure that the views of women, all
ethnic and racial groups, and people with disabilities are represented
on expert panels and, therefore, AHRQ encourages nominations of
qualified candidates from these groups. AHRQ also encourages geographic
diversity in the composition of expert panels. Selection of panelists
shall be made without discrimination on the basis of age, race,
ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, disability, and cultural,
religious, or socioeconomic status.
Dated: May 27, 2011.
Carolyn M. Clancy,
Director, AHRQ.
[FR Doc. 2011-14112 Filed 6-8-11; 8:45 am]
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