[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 40 (Tuesday, March 1, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 10635-10636]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-04238]
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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Office of the Secretary
Health IT Policy Committee and Health IT Standards Committee:
Schedule and Recommendations
AGENCY: Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information
Technology, Department of Health and Human Services.
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: This notice fulfills obligations under the Health Information
Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act, Title XIII of
Division A and Title IV of Division B of the American Recovery and
Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Pub. L.
[[Page 10636]]
111-5), which amended the Public Health Service Act (PHSA). Section
3003(b)(3) of the PHSA mandates that the Health IT Standards Committee
(HITSC) develop an annual schedule for the assessment of policy
recommendations developed by the Health IT Policy Committee (HITPC) and
publish the schedule in the Federal Register. This notice fulfills the
requirements of section 3003(b)(3) and updates the HITSC schedule
posted in the Federal Register on August 10, 2015. This notice also
meets the requirements under sections 3002(e) and 3003(e) for
publication in the Federal Register of recommendations made by the
HITPC and HITSC, respectively. Further, this notice serves to meet the
requirements of section 3004(a)(3) for publication in the Federal
Register of determinations by the Secretary of Health and Human
Services regarding HITSC-recommended certification criteria endorsed by
the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Michael Lipinski, Office of Policy,
Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology,
202-690-7151.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This notice fulfills obligations under the
Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH)
Act, Title XIII of Division A and Title IV of Division B of the
American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Pub. L. 111-5), which
amended the Public Health Service Act (PHSA).
Health IT Standards Committee Schedule
Section 3003(b)(3) of the PHSA mandates that the Health IT
Standards Committee (HITSC) develop an annual schedule for the
assessment of policy recommendations developed by the Health IT Policy
Committee (HITPC) and publish it in the Federal Register. The HITSC's
schedule for the assessment of HITPC recommendations updates the HITSC
schedule published on August 10, 2015, and is as follows:
The National Coordinator for Health Information Technology
(National Coordinator) will establish priority areas based in part on
recommendations received from the HITPC regarding health IT standards,
implementation specifications, and/or certification criteria. Once the
HITSC is informed of those priority areas, it will:
(A) Identify the best mechanism by which to organize itself in
order to respond to the National Coordinator within 90 days with, at a
minimum, the following:
(1) An assessment of what standards, implementation specifications,
and certification criteria are currently available to meet the priority
area;
(2) An assessment of where gaps exist (i.e., no standard is
available or harmonization is required because more than one standard
exists) and identify potential organizations that have the capability
to address those gaps; and
(3) A timeline, which may also account for the National Institute
of Standards and Technology (NIST) testing, where appropriate, and
include dates when the HITSC is expected to issue recommendations to
the National Coordinator.
(B) In responding to the National Coordinator:
(1) Approve a timeline by which it will deliver recommendations to
the National Coordinator; and
(2) Determine whether to establish a task force to conduct research
and solicit testimony, where appropriate, and issue recommendations to
the full committee in a timely manner.
(C) Advise the National Coordinator, consistent with the accepted
timeline in (B)(1) and after NIST testing, where appropriate, on
standards, implementation specifications, and/or certification
criteria, for the National Coordinator's review and determination
whether or not to endorse the recommendations, and possible adoption of
the proposed recommendations by the Secretary of the Department of
Health and Human Services (Secretary).
The standards and related topics which the HITSC is expected to
address in 2016 include, but may not be limited to: Quality
measurement; precision medicine; security; consumer-mediated
information exchange; public health; technical interoperability
experience in the field; and updates to the Office of the National
Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC)'s Interoperability
Standards Advisory(ies).
HITPC and HITSC Recommendations
Sections 3002(e) and 3003(e) of the PHSA provides for publication
of HITPC and HITSC recommendations in the Federal Register. ONC will
post all recommendations received from the HITPC on its Web site at:
https://www.healthit.gov/facas/health-it-policy-committee/health-it-policy-committee-recommendations-national-coordinator-health-it. ONC
will post all recommendations received from the HITSC on its Web site
at: https://www.healthit.gov/facas/health-it-standards-committee/health-it-standards-committee-recommendations-national-coordinator. All
prior recommendations received from the HITPC and HITSC can be found at
these respective Web site addresses.
HITSC Privacy and Security Recommendations
Section 3004(a)(3) of the PHSA provides for publication in the
Federal Register of determinations by the Secretary regarding HITSC-
recommended certification criteria endorsed by the National
Coordinator.
On March 30, 2015, ONC issued a notice of proposed rulemaking with
comment period for the 2015 Edition health IT certification criteria
(80 FR 16804). Subsequently, on June 5, 2015, the HITSC submitted a
transmittal letter to the National Coordinator which contained the
HITSC recommendations for the adoption of two new certification
criteria for the ONC Health IT Certification Program. The two
certification criteria are:
1. A criterion for encrypting authentication credentials; and
2. A multi-factor authentication criterion for user access to
health information.
The National Coordinator endorsed these recommendations for
consideration by the Secretary and the Secretary has determined that it
is appropriate to propose adoption of these two new certification
criteria through rulemaking. Therefore, the Secretary, within a
reasonable period of time, will propose adoption of the certification
criteria noted above in an available and appropriate notice of proposed
rulemaking.
Authority: 42 U.S.C. 300jj-11-14; Office of the National
Coordinator for Health Information Technology; Delegation of
Authority (74 FR 64086, Dec. 7, 2009).
Dated: February 23, 2016.
Karen DeSalvo,
National Coordinator for Health Information Technology.
[FR Doc. 2016-04238 Filed 2-26-16; 4:15 pm]
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