[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 34 (Tuesday, February 21, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Page 9949]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-3919]
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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Health Resources and Services Administration
Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection:
Comment Request
In compliance with the requirement for opportunity for public
comment on proposed data collection projects (Section 3506(c)(2)(A) of
Title 44, United States Code, as amended by the Paperwork Reduction Act
of 1995, Pub. L. 104-13), the Health Resources and Services
Administration (HRSA) publishes periodic summaries of proposed projects
being developed for submission to the Office of Management and Budget
(OMB) under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995. To request more
information on the proposed project or to obtain a copy of the data
collection plans and draft instruments, email [email protected] or
call the HRSA Reports Clearance Officer at (301) 443-1984.
Comments are invited on: (a) The proposed collection of information
for the proper performance of the functions of the Agency; (b) the
accuracy of the Agency's estimate of the burden of the proposed
collection of information; (c) ways to enhance the quality, utility,
and clarity of the information to be collected; and (d) ways to
minimize the burden of the collection of information on respondents,
including through the use of automated collection techniques or other
forms of information technology.
Proposed Project: Rural Health Information Technology Network
Development (OMB No. 0915-xxxx) - [New]
The purpose of the Rural Health Information Technology Network
Development (RHITND) Program, authorized under the Public Health
Service Act, Section 330A(f) (42 U.S.C. 254c) as amended by Section
201, Public Law 107-251 of the Health Care Safety Net Amendments of
2002, is to improve health care and support the adoption of Health
Information Technology (HIT) in rural America by providing targeted HIT
support to rural health networks. HIT plays a significant role in the
advancement of the Department of Health and Human Services' (HHS)
priority policies to improve health care delivery. Some of these
priorities include: improving health care quality, safety, and
efficiency, reducing disparities, engaging both patients and families
in managing their health, enhancing care coordination, improving
population and public health, and ensuring adequate privacy and
security of health information.
The intent of RHITND is to support the adoption and use of
electronic health records (EHR) in coordination with the ongoing HHS
activities related to the Health Information Technology for Economic
and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act (Pub. L. 111-5). This legislation
provides HHS with the authority to establish programs to improve health
care quality, safety, and efficiency through the promotion of health
information technology, including EHR.
For this program, performance measures were drafted to provide data
useful to the program and to enable HRSA to provide aggregate program
data required by Congress under the Government Performance and Results
Act (GPRA) of 1993 (Pub. L. 103-62). These measures cover the principal
topic areas of interest to the Office of Rural Health Policy (ORHP),
including: (a) Access to care; (b) the underinsured and uninsured; (c)
workforce recruitment and retention; (d) sustainability; (e) health
information technology; (f) network development; and (g) health-related
clinical measures. Several measures will be used for this program.
These measures will speak to ORHP's progress toward meeting the goals
set.
The annual estimate of burden is as follows:
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Number of Responses per Total Hours per Total burden
Instrument respondents respondent responses response hours
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Rural Health Information 41 1 41 4.12 168.92
Technology Network Development
Program........................
Total....................... 41 1 41 4.12 168.92
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Email comments to [email protected] or mail the HRSA Reports
Clearance Officer, Room 10-29, Parklawn Building, 5600 Fishers Lane,
Rockville, MD 20857. Written comments should be received within 60 days
of this notice.
Dated: February 14, 2012.
Reva Harris,
Acting Director, Division of Policy and Information Coordination.
[FR Doc. 2012-3919 Filed 2-17-12; 8:45 am]
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