Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology; Health Information Technology; Request for Information Regarding the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST) Report Entitled “Realizing the Full Potential of Health Information Technology To Improve Healthcare for Americans: The Path Forward”, 76986-76987 [2010-31159]

Download as PDF 76986 Federal Register / Vol. 75, No. 237 / Friday, December 10, 2010 / Notices Final Rule Setting the Designated Reserve Ratio. Proposed 2011 Corporate Operating Budget. The meeting will be held in the Board Room on the sixth floor of the FDIC Building located at 550 17th Street, NW., Washington, DC. This Board meeting will be Webcast live via the Internet and subsequently made available on-demand approximately one week after the event. Visit https://www.vodium.com/goto/fdic/ boardmeetings.asp to view the event. If you need any technical assistance, please visit our Video Help page at: https://www.fdic.gov/video.html. The FDIC will provide attendees with auxiliary aids (e.g., sign language interpretation) required for this meeting. Those attendees needing such assistance should call 703–562–2404 (Voice) or 703–649–4354 (Video Phone) to make necessary arrangements. Requests for further information concerning the meeting may be directed to Mr. Robert E. Feldman, Executive Secretary of the Corporation, at 202– 898–7043. Dated: December 7, 2010. Valerie J. Best, Assistant Executive Secretary, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation. [FR Doc. 2010–31154 Filed 12–8–10; 11:15 am] BILLING CODE P DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology; Health Information Technology; Request for Information Regarding the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST) Report Entitled ‘‘Realizing the Full Potential of Health Information Technology To Improve Healthcare for Americans: The Path Forward’’ Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC), Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). ACTION: Request for information. AGENCY: This document is a request for comments regarding the recently released PCAST report and its implications for the nation’s health information technology (HIT) agenda and ONC’s implementation of the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act (HITECH Act). DATES: Comment Date: To be assured consideration, comments must be mstockstill on DSKH9S0YB1PROD with NOTICES SUMMARY: VerDate Mar<15>2010 18:39 Dec 09, 2010 Jkt 223001 received at one of the addresses provided below, no later than 5 p.m. on January 17, 2011. ADDRESSES: Because of staff and resource limitations, we cannot accept comments by facsimile (FAX) transmission. You may submit comments by any of the following methods (please do not submit duplicate comments). • Electronically: You may submit electronic comments on this request for information at https:// www.regulations.gov. Follow the ‘‘Submit a comment’’ instructions. Attachments should be in Microsoft Word or Excel, WordPerfect, or Adobe PDF. • Regular, Express, or Overnight Mail: Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology, Attention: Steven Posnack, Hubert H. Humphrey Building, Suite 729D, 200 Independence Ave., SW., Washington, DC 20201. Please submit one original and two copies. Please also allow sufficient time for mailed comments to be received before the close of the comment period. • Hand Delivery or Courier: Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology, Attention: Steven Posnack, Hubert H. Humphrey Building, Suite 729D, 200 Independence Ave., SW., Washington, DC 20201. Please submit one original and two copies. (Because access to the interior of the Hubert H. Humphrey Building is not readily available to persons without Federal government identification, commenters are encouraged to leave their comments in the mail drop slots located in the main lobby of the building.) FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Steven Posnack, Director, Federal Policy Division, Office of Policy and Planning, Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology, 202– 690–7151. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Inspection of Public Comments: All comments received before the close of the comment period will be available for public inspection, including any personally identifiable or confidential business information that is included in a comment. Please do not include anything in your comment submission that you do not wish to share with the general public. Such information includes, but is not limited to: A person’s Social Security number; date of birth; driver’s license number; State identification number or foreign country equivalent; passport number; financial account number; credit or debit card PO 00000 Frm 00037 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 number; any personal health information; or any business information that could be considered to be proprietary. We will post all comments received before the close of the comment period at https:// www.regulations.gov. Follow the search instructions on that Web site to view public comments. I. Background On December 8, 2010, the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST) released an important new report entitled ‘‘Realizing the Full Potential of Health Information Technology To Improve Healthcare for Americans: The Path Forward’’ (the PCAST Report). (The full report is available at https://www.whitehouse.gov/ administration/eop/ostp/pcast and also available on ONC’s Web site https:// healthit.hhs.gov). PCAST is an advisory group of the nation’s leading scientists and engineers who directly advise the President and the Executive Office of the President. PCAST makes policy recommendations in the many areas where understanding of science, technology, and innovation is key to strengthening our economy and forming policy that works for the American people. PCAST is administered by the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP). PCAST’s report and its recommendations have significant implications for the nation’s HIT agenda and the implementation of the HITECH Act, passed as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Recovery Act) (Pub. L. 111–5). ONC seeks public comment on the PCAST report’s vision and recommendations and how they may be best addressed. II. Solicitation of Comments ONC seeks comment on the questions below. Comments on other aspects of the PCAST report are also welcome. 1. What standards, implementation specifications, certification criteria, and certification processes for electronic health record (EHR) technology and other HIT would be required to implement the following specific recommendations from the PCAST report: a. That ONC establish minimal standards for the metadata associated with tagged data elements; b. That ONC facilitate the rapid mapping of existing semantic taxonomies into tagged data elements; c. That certification of EHR technology and other HIT should focus on interoperability with reference implementations developed by ONC. 2. What processes and approaches would facilitate the rapid development E:\FR\FM\10DEN1.SGM 10DEN1 Federal Register / Vol. 75, No. 237 / Friday, December 10, 2010 / Notices and use of these standards, implementation specifications, certification criteria and certification processes? 3. Given currently implemented information technology (IT) architectures and enterprises, what challenges will the industry face with respect to transitioning to the approach discussed in the PCAST report? a. Given currently implemented provider workflows, what are some challenges to populating the metadata that may be necessary to implement the approach discussed in the PCAST report? b. Alternatively, what are proposed solutions, or best practices from other industries, that could be leveraged to expedite these transitions? 4. What technological developments and policy actions would be required to assure the privacy and security of health data in a national infrastructure for HIT that embodies the PCAST vision and recommendations? 5. How might a system of Data Element Access Services (DEAS), as described in the report, be established, and what role should the Federal government assume in the oversight and/or governance of such a system? 6. How might ONC best integrate the changes envisioned by the PCAST report into its work in preparation for Stage 2 of Meaningful Use? 7. What are the implications of the PCAST report on HIT programs and activities, specifically, health information exchange and Federal agency activities, and how could ONC address those implications? 8. Are there lessons learned regarding metadata tagging in other industries that ONC should be aware of? 9. Are there lessons learned from initiatives to establish informationsharing languages (‘‘universal languages’’) in other sectors? Dated: December 7, 2010. David Blumenthal, National Coordinator, Office of the National Coordinator for HIT. mstockstill on DSKH9S0YB1PROD with NOTICES [FR Doc. 2010–31159 Filed 12–8–10; 11:15 am] BILLING CODE 4150–45–P DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Disease, Disability, and Injury Prevention and Control Special Emphasis Panel (SEP): Epidemiologic and Ecologic Determinants of Monkeypox in a Disease-Endemic Setting, Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) CK11–003, Initial Review In accordance with Section 10(a)(2) of the Federal Advisory Committee Act (Pub. L. 92–463), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announces the aforementioned meeting: Time and Date: 12 p.m.–2 p.m., February 1, 2011 (Closed). Place: Teleconference. Status: The meeting will be closed to the public in accordance with provisions set forth in Section 552b(c)(4) and (6), Title 5 U.S.C., and the Determination of the Director, Management Analysis and Services Office, CDC, pursuant to Public Law 92–463. Matters to Be Discussed: The meeting will include the initial review, discussion, and evaluation of applications received in response to ‘‘Epidemiologic and Ecologic Determinants of Monkeypox in a Diseaseendemic Setting, Funding Opportunity Announcement FOA CK11–003.’’ Contact Person for More Information: Amy Yang, PhD, Scientific Review Officer, CDC, 1600 Clifton Road, NE., Mailstop E60, Atlanta, Georgia 30333, Telephone: (404) 498–2733. The Director, Management Analysis and Services Office, has been delegated the authority to sign Federal Register notices pertaining to announcements of meetings and other committee management activities, for both the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry. Dated: December 2, 2010. Elaine L. Baker, Director, Management Analysis and Services Office, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. [FR Doc. 2010–31046 Filed 12–9–10; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4163–18–P DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services [Document Identifier: CMS–1500(08–05)] Agency Information Collection Activities: Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, HHS. AGENCY: VerDate Mar<15>2010 18:39 Dec 09, 2010 Jkt 223001 PO 00000 Frm 00038 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 76987 In compliance with the requirement of section 3506(c)(2)(A) of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), Department of Health and Human Services, is publishing the following summary of proposed collections for public comment. 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 function; (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. 1. Type of Information Collection Request: Reinstatement of a previously approved collection; Title of Information Collection: Health Insurance Common Claims Form and Supporting Regulations at 42 CFR part 424, Subpart C; Form Number: CMS– 1500(08–05), CMS–1490–S (OMB#: 0938–0999); Use: The Form CMS–1500 answers the needs of many health insurers. It is the basic form prescribed by CMS for the Medicare program for claims from physicians and suppliers. The Medicaid State Agencies, CHAMPUS/TriCare, Blue Cross/Blue Shield Plans, the Federal Employees Health Benefit Plan, and several private health plans also use it; it is the de facto standard ‘‘professional’’ claim form. Medicare carriers use the data collected on the CMS–1500 and the CMS–1490S to determine the proper amount of reimbursement for Part B medical and other health services (as listed in section 1861(s) of the Social Security Act) provided by physicians and suppliers to beneficiaries. The CMS–1500 is submitted by physicians/ suppliers for all Part B Medicare. Serving as a common claim form, the CMS–1500 can be used by other thirdparty payers (commercial and nonprofit health insurers) and other Federal programs (e.g., CHAMPUS/TriCare, Railroad Retirement Board (RRB), and Medicaid). However, as the CMS–1500 displays data items required for other third-party payers in addition to Medicare, the form is considered too complex for use by beneficiaries when they file their own claims. Therefore, the CMS–1490S (Patient’s Request for Medicare Payment) was explicitly developed for E:\FR\FM\10DEN1.SGM 10DEN1

Agencies

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 237 (Friday, December 10, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 76986-76987]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-31159]


=======================================================================
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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES


Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information 
Technology; Health Information Technology; Request for Information 
Regarding the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology 
(PCAST) Report Entitled ``Realizing the Full Potential of Health 
Information Technology To Improve Healthcare for Americans: The Path 
Forward''

AGENCY: Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information 
Technology (ONC), Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

ACTION: Request for information.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: This document is a request for comments regarding the recently 
released PCAST report and its implications for the nation's health 
information technology (HIT) agenda and ONC's implementation of the 
Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act 
(HITECH Act).

DATES: Comment Date: To be assured consideration, comments must be 
received at one of the addresses provided below, no later than 5 p.m. 
on January 17, 2011.

ADDRESSES: Because of staff and resource limitations, we cannot accept 
comments by facsimile (FAX) transmission. You may submit comments by 
any of the following methods (please do not submit duplicate comments).
     Electronically: You may submit electronic comments on this 
request for information at https://www.regulations.gov. Follow the 
``Submit a comment'' instructions. Attachments should be in Microsoft 
Word or Excel, WordPerfect, or Adobe PDF.
     Regular, Express, or Overnight Mail: Department of Health 
and Human Services, Office of the National Coordinator for Health 
Information Technology, Attention: Steven Posnack, Hubert H. Humphrey 
Building, Suite 729D, 200 Independence Ave., SW., Washington, DC 20201. 
Please submit one original and two copies. Please also allow sufficient 
time for mailed comments to be received before the close of the comment 
period.
     Hand Delivery or Courier: Office of the National 
Coordinator for Health Information Technology, Attention: Steven 
Posnack, Hubert H. Humphrey Building, Suite 729D, 200 Independence 
Ave., SW., Washington, DC 20201. Please submit one original and two 
copies. (Because access to the interior of the Hubert H. Humphrey 
Building is not readily available to persons without Federal government 
identification, commenters are encouraged to leave their comments in 
the mail drop slots located in the main lobby of the building.)

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Steven Posnack, Director, Federal 
Policy Division, Office of Policy and Planning, Office of the National 
Coordinator for Health Information Technology, 202-690-7151.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    Inspection of Public Comments: All comments received before the 
close of the comment period will be available for public inspection, 
including any personally identifiable or confidential business 
information that is included in a comment. Please do not include 
anything in your comment submission that you do not wish to share with 
the general public. Such information includes, but is not limited to: A 
person's Social Security number; date of birth; driver's license 
number; State identification number or foreign country equivalent; 
passport number; financial account number; credit or debit card number; 
any personal health information; or any business information that could 
be considered to be proprietary. We will post all comments received 
before the close of the comment period at https://www.regulations.gov. 
Follow the search instructions on that Web site to view public 
comments.

I. Background

    On December 8, 2010, the President's Council of Advisors on Science 
and Technology (PCAST) released an important new report entitled 
``Realizing the Full Potential of Health Information Technology To 
Improve Healthcare for Americans: The Path Forward'' (the PCAST 
Report). (The full report is available at https://www.whitehouse.gov/administration/eop/ostp/pcast and also available on ONC's Web site 
https://healthit.hhs.gov). PCAST is an advisory group of the nation's 
leading scientists and engineers who directly advise the President and 
the Executive Office of the President. PCAST makes policy 
recommendations in the many areas where understanding of science, 
technology, and innovation is key to strengthening our economy and 
forming policy that works for the American people. PCAST is 
administered by the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP). 
PCAST's report and its recommendations have significant implications 
for the nation's HIT agenda and the implementation of the HITECH Act, 
passed as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 
(Recovery Act) (Pub. L. 111-5). ONC seeks public comment on the PCAST 
report's vision and recommendations and how they may be best addressed.

II. Solicitation of Comments

    ONC seeks comment on the questions below. Comments on other aspects 
of the PCAST report are also welcome.
    1. What standards, implementation specifications, certification 
criteria, and certification processes for electronic health record 
(EHR) technology and other HIT would be required to implement the 
following specific recommendations from the PCAST report:
    a. That ONC establish minimal standards for the metadata associated 
with tagged data elements;
    b. That ONC facilitate the rapid mapping of existing semantic 
taxonomies into tagged data elements;
    c. That certification of EHR technology and other HIT should focus 
on interoperability with reference implementations developed by ONC.
    2. What processes and approaches would facilitate the rapid 
development

[[Page 76987]]

and use of these standards, implementation specifications, 
certification criteria and certification processes?
    3. Given currently implemented information technology (IT) 
architectures and enterprises, what challenges will the industry face 
with respect to transitioning to the approach discussed in the PCAST 
report?
    a. Given currently implemented provider workflows, what are some 
challenges to populating the metadata that may be necessary to 
implement the approach discussed in the PCAST report?
    b. Alternatively, what are proposed solutions, or best practices 
from other industries, that could be leveraged to expedite these 
transitions?
    4. What technological developments and policy actions would be 
required to assure the privacy and security of health data in a 
national infrastructure for HIT that embodies the PCAST vision and 
recommendations?
    5. How might a system of Data Element Access Services (DEAS), as 
described in the report, be established, and what role should the 
Federal government assume in the oversight and/or governance of such a 
system?
    6. How might ONC best integrate the changes envisioned by the PCAST 
report into its work in preparation for Stage 2 of Meaningful Use?
    7. What are the implications of the PCAST report on HIT programs 
and activities, specifically, health information exchange and Federal 
agency activities, and how could ONC address those implications?
    8. Are there lessons learned regarding metadata tagging in other 
industries that ONC should be aware of?
    9. Are there lessons learned from initiatives to establish 
information-sharing languages (``universal languages'') in other 
sectors?

    Dated: December 7, 2010.
David Blumenthal,
National Coordinator, Office of the National Coordinator for HIT.
[FR Doc. 2010-31159 Filed 12-8-10; 11:15 am]
BILLING CODE 4150-45-P

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