Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality June 2007 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

This notice announces the intention of the Agency for Healthcare and Research and Quality (AHRQ) to request that the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) allow the proposed information collection project: ``Development of an Electronic System for Reporting Medication Errors and Adverse Drug Events in Primary Care Practice (MEADERS).'' In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, Public Law 104-13 (44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A)), AHRQ invites the public to comment on this proposed information collection. An earlier version of this proposed information collection notice was previously published in the Federal Register and a period of 90 days was allowed for public comment. At the request of OMB, AHRQ is publishing this notice to allow an additional 30 days for public comment. The original 30 day notice is available at https://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/ 01jan20071800/edocket.access.gpo.gov/2007/pdf/07-574.pdf .

The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) is soliciting the submission of survey instruments and items that could be used to measure the quality of Medicaid home and community-based service (HCBS) programs. Specifically, AHRQ is interested in metrics related to assessing the performance of such programs, client functional outcomes and client experience of, and satisfaction with, Medicaid HCBS services and supports. This initiative is in response to the mandate within the Deficit Reduction Act (DRA) of 2005, Public Law 109-171, Section 6086(b) that AHRQ develop such measures, in consultation with relevant stakeholders. In preparation for this task, AHRQ is conducting an environmental scan of existing tools that could be adapted or used for assessing the quality of Medicaid HCBS services and supports. Based on the agency's initial methodological work, there are several quality domains the resulting measure set could assess, including: timeliness of determining need and providing services and supports, person-centeredness, safety, equity, efficiency and, effectiveness of services and supports, qualifications of providers, client health and welfare, program administrative oversight, access, unmet need among current program participants, and coordination of long-term care services with other service providers. For example, relevant measures might include items from a consumer survey that ask about receipt of services or experience with select providers, or metrics that use program administrative data to determine if providers meet program qualifications or if assessments are done on a timely basis.