[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 45 (Thursday, March 7, 2013)] [Notices] [Pages 14804-14805] From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] [FR Doc No: 2013-05303] ----------------------------------------------------------------------- DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Health Resources and Services Administration Agency Information Collection Activities; Proposed Collection; Comment Request ACTION: Notice. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- SUMMARY: 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. HRSA especially requests comments on: (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. Information Collection Request Title: Rural Health Information Technology Network Development Performance Improvement and Measurement System Database (OMB No. 0915-0354)--[Revision] 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(f)) 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 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 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, 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 the Office of Rural Health Policy's progress toward meeting the goals set. Burden Statement: Burden in this context means the time expended by persons to generate, maintain, retain, disclose or provide the information requested. This includes the time needed to review instructions, to develop, acquire, install and utilize technology and systems for the purpose of collecting, validating and verifying information, processing and maintaining information, and disclosing and providing information, to train personnel and to be able to respond to a collection of information, to search data sources, to complete and review the collection of information, and to transmit or otherwise disclose the information. The total annual burden hours estimated for this Information Collection Request are summarized in the table below. The annual estimate of burden is as follows: ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Number of Average burden Form name Number of responses per Total per response Total burden respondents respondent responses (in hours) hours ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Performance Improvement and 41 1 41 6.33 259.53 Measurement System (PIMS) Database....................... ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Total....................... 41 1 41 6.33 259.53 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ADDRESSES: Submit your comments to [email protected] or mail the HRSA Reports Clearance Officer, Room 10-29, Parklawn Building, 5600 Fishers Lane, Rockville, MD 20857. [[Page 14805]] Deadline: Comments on this Information Collection Request must be received within 60 days of this notice. Dated: February 28, 2013. Bahar Niakan, Director, Division of Policy and Information Coordination. [FR Doc. 2013-05303 Filed 3-6-13; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4165-15-P