Expansion of NIOSH B Reader Certification Eligibility; Request for Information, 102147 [2024-29622]
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Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 242 / Tuesday, December 17, 2024 / Notices
calling 202–501–4755 or emailing
GSARegSec@gsa.gov. Please cite OMB
Control No. 9000–0198, Certain Federal
Acquisition Regulation Part 9
Requirements.
Janet Fry,
Director, Federal Acquisition Policy Division,
Office of Governmentwide Acquisition Policy,
Office of Acquisition Policy, Office of
Governmentwide Policy.
[FR Doc. 2024–29702 Filed 12–16–24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6820–EP–P
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND
HUMAN SERVICES
Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention
[Docket No. CDC–2024–0103; NIOSH 355]
Expansion of NIOSH B Reader
Certification Eligibility; Request for
Information
Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention (CDC), Department of Health
and Human Services (HHS).
ACTION: Request for information.
AGENCY:
The B Reader Program,
administered by CDC’s National
Institute for Occupational Safety and
Health (NIOSH), is seeking information
from experts in occupational respiratory
health surveillance and radiology, nurse
practitioners, physician assistants,
workers exposed to mineral dust and
unions representing such workers,
industry and other parties interested in
allowing nurse practitioners and
physician assistants to be eligible to take
the NIOSH B Reader examination and
become certified B Readers if they
successfully pass the examination.
DATES: Comments must be received by
March 17, 2025.
ADDRESSES: Submit comments by either
of the following methods:
• Federal eRulemaking Portal:
https://www.regulations.gov. Follow the
instructions for submitting comments.
• Mail: NIOSH Docket Office, Robert
A. Taft Laboratories, MS C–34, 1090
Tusculum Avenue, Cincinnati, Ohio
45226–1998.
Instructions: All written submissions
received in response to this document
must include the agency name and
docket number (CDC–2024–0103;
NIOSH–355) for this activity. All
relevant comments, including any
personal information provided, will be
posted without change to https://
www.regulations.gov. Do not submit
comments by email.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Laura E. Reynolds, NIOSH B Reader
ddrumheller on DSK120RN23PROD with NOTICES1
SUMMARY:
VerDate Sep<11>2014
19:45 Dec 16, 2024
Jkt 265001
Program, Respiratory Health Division,
1095 Willowdale Road, MS HG900.2,
Morgantown, WV 26505–2888; (304)
285–5853 (this is not a toll-free
number); lreynolds@cdc.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The
NIOSH B Reader program, established
in 42 CFR 37.52, certifies physicians as
being able to apply the International
Labour Organization (ILO) International
Classification of Radiographs of
Pneumoconioses in classifying
posteroanterior chest radiographic
images for the presence and severity of
appearances of pneumoconiosis (a type
of dust-induced lung disease). In the
United States, B Readers classify chest
radiographic images of workers
participating in health surveillance
programs.1 These workers have jobs
involving exposure to mineral dusts that
can cause pneumoconiosis such as coal
mine dust, crystalline silica, and
asbestos.
B Readers participate in several types
of activities involving classification of
chest radiographs. Physicians who
classify chest radiographs for certain
Federal surveillance programs such as
the NIOSH Coal Workers’ Health
Surveillance Program must be B
Readers. Additionally, B Readers
provide classifications for research
purposes and for certain legal and
administrative activities such as
compensation programs.
Currently, only physicians licensed to
practice medicine in the United States
can serve as certified B Readers in the
United States, and only after
successfully completing the B Reader
examination. The examination,
developed by NIOSH in partnership
with the American College of Radiology,
is rigorous and tests physicians’ ability
to apply the ILO classification system.
International physicians may also take
the B Reader examination to document
their ability to apply the ILO
classification system, but those who
pass the examination do not serve as
certified B Readers in the United States.
As of October 2024, 184 U.S.
physicians based in 35 States and 2
Territories are NIOSH-certified B
Readers. NIOSH is interested in
ensuring that B Readers are available to
classify chest radiographs obtained in
all states and territories. To meet this
goal, NIOSH is requesting information
from parties interested in allowing
nurse practitioners and physician
assistants to be eligible to take the
NIOSH B Reader examination and
become certified B Readers if they
successfully pass the examination.
NIOSH is particularly interested in
receiving information about the
following questions:
1. What is the current demand for B
Readers, and would expanding the
program to include nurse practitioners
and physician assistants help meet this
demand?
2. Are there specific geographic areas
or populations that might benefit from
having nurse practitioners and
physician assistants certified as B
Readers?
3. Are there any potential risks
associated with expanding the B Reader
certification to nurse practitioners and
physician assistants and, if so, how can
those risks be mitigated?
4. ILO classification of chest
radiographs is not the same as clinical
interpretation. Are there states where
scope of practice and standards of care
allow nurse practitioners and physician
assistants to perform clinical
interpretation of chest radiographs
without physician oversight? In states
where physician oversight is required
for clinical interpretation, is it also
required for ILO classification? What
would be the best approach to ensuring
that appropriate clinical interpretations
are obtained for all contemporary chest
radiographs undergoing ILO
classification by nurse practitioners and
physician assistants?
5. How do you anticipate different
interested parties (e.g., physicians,
nurse practitioners and physician
assistants, industry representatives,
workers, health profession boards)
would view the potential expansion of
the B Reader program to include nonphysicians?
6. What challenges might arise during
the implementation of this expansion,
and how could they be effectively
managed?
7. Do you have any other information
or comments relevant to whether nurse
practitioners and physician assistants
should be able to become B Readers
and, if so, the best way to implement
that expansion?
John J. Howard,
Director, National Institute for Occupational
Safety and Health, Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention, Department of Health and
Human Services.
[FR Doc. 2024–29622 Filed 12–16–24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4163–18–P
1 See https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/
chestradiography/php/breader/.
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[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 242 (Tuesday, December 17, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Page 102147]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-29622]
=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
[Docket No. CDC-2024-0103; NIOSH 355]
Expansion of NIOSH B Reader Certification Eligibility; Request
for Information
AGENCY: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Department of
Health and Human Services (HHS).
ACTION: Request for information.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The B Reader Program, administered by CDC's National Institute
for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), is seeking information from
experts in occupational respiratory health surveillance and radiology,
nurse practitioners, physician assistants, workers exposed to mineral
dust and unions representing such workers, industry and other parties
interested in allowing nurse practitioners and physician assistants to
be eligible to take the NIOSH B Reader examination and become certified
B Readers if they successfully pass the examination.
DATES: Comments must be received by March 17, 2025.
ADDRESSES: Submit comments by either of the following methods:
Federal eRulemaking Portal: https://www.regulations.gov.
Follow the instructions for submitting comments.
Mail: NIOSH Docket Office, Robert A. Taft Laboratories, MS
C-34, 1090 Tusculum Avenue, Cincinnati, Ohio 45226-1998.
Instructions: All written submissions received in response to this
document must include the agency name and docket number (CDC-2024-0103;
NIOSH-355) for this activity. All relevant comments, including any
personal information provided, will be posted without change to https://www.regulations.gov. Do not submit comments by email.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Laura E. Reynolds, NIOSH B Reader
Program, Respiratory Health Division, 1095 Willowdale Road, MS HG900.2,
Morgantown, WV 26505-2888; (304) 285-5853 (this is not a toll-free
number); [email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The NIOSH B Reader program, established in
42 CFR 37.52, certifies physicians as being able to apply the
International Labour Organization (ILO) International Classification of
Radiographs of Pneumoconioses in classifying posteroanterior chest
radiographic images for the presence and severity of appearances of
pneumoconiosis (a type of dust-induced lung disease). In the United
States, B Readers classify chest radiographic images of workers
participating in health surveillance programs.\1\ These workers have
jobs involving exposure to mineral dusts that can cause pneumoconiosis
such as coal mine dust, crystalline silica, and asbestos.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ See https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/chestradiography/php/breader/.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
B Readers participate in several types of activities involving
classification of chest radiographs. Physicians who classify chest
radiographs for certain Federal surveillance programs such as the NIOSH
Coal Workers' Health Surveillance Program must be B Readers.
Additionally, B Readers provide classifications for research purposes
and for certain legal and administrative activities such as
compensation programs.
Currently, only physicians licensed to practice medicine in the
United States can serve as certified B Readers in the United States,
and only after successfully completing the B Reader examination. The
examination, developed by NIOSH in partnership with the American
College of Radiology, is rigorous and tests physicians' ability to
apply the ILO classification system. International physicians may also
take the B Reader examination to document their ability to apply the
ILO classification system, but those who pass the examination do not
serve as certified B Readers in the United States.
As of October 2024, 184 U.S. physicians based in 35 States and 2
Territories are NIOSH-certified B Readers. NIOSH is interested in
ensuring that B Readers are available to classify chest radiographs
obtained in all states and territories. To meet this goal, NIOSH is
requesting information from parties interested in allowing nurse
practitioners and physician assistants to be eligible to take the NIOSH
B Reader examination and become certified B Readers if they
successfully pass the examination. NIOSH is particularly interested in
receiving information about the following questions:
1. What is the current demand for B Readers, and would expanding
the program to include nurse practitioners and physician assistants
help meet this demand?
2. Are there specific geographic areas or populations that might
benefit from having nurse practitioners and physician assistants
certified as B Readers?
3. Are there any potential risks associated with expanding the B
Reader certification to nurse practitioners and physician assistants
and, if so, how can those risks be mitigated?
4. ILO classification of chest radiographs is not the same as
clinical interpretation. Are there states where scope of practice and
standards of care allow nurse practitioners and physician assistants to
perform clinical interpretation of chest radiographs without physician
oversight? In states where physician oversight is required for clinical
interpretation, is it also required for ILO classification? What would
be the best approach to ensuring that appropriate clinical
interpretations are obtained for all contemporary chest radiographs
undergoing ILO classification by nurse practitioners and physician
assistants?
5. How do you anticipate different interested parties (e.g.,
physicians, nurse practitioners and physician assistants, industry
representatives, workers, health profession boards) would view the
potential expansion of the B Reader program to include non-physicians?
6. What challenges might arise during the implementation of this
expansion, and how could they be effectively managed?
7. Do you have any other information or comments relevant to
whether nurse practitioners and physician assistants should be able to
become B Readers and, if so, the best way to implement that expansion?
John J. Howard,
Director, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health,
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Department of Health and
Human Services.
[FR Doc. 2024-29622 Filed 12-16-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4163-18-P
