[Federal Register: August 19, 2002 (Volume 67, Number 160)]
[Notices]
[Page 53801-53802]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr19au02-64]
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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
Preliminary Measure Set for the National Healthcare Quality
Report
Request for Comments
The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) announces a
request for public comment on the Preliminary Measure Set to be used in
preparing the first National Healthcare Quality Report (NHQR). The NHQR
is a congressionally mandated report (see 42 U.S.C. 299b-2(b)(2)) on
national trends with respect to health care quality. The legislation
mandated that the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ)
submit this report on an annual basis beginning in 2003. The
Preliminary Measure Set for the NHQR was generated through a call for
measures to Federal agencies and private organizations. AHRQ issued a
call for measures to Federal agencies, through the Quality Interagency
Coordination Task Force (QuIC), from October 2000-February 2001. The
Institute of Medicine issued the call to private organizations from
June-July 2000. An interagency Department of Health and Human Services
(DHHS) working group then reviewed and revised the candidate measures.
AHRQ and the interagency working group are seeking comments on (1) the
extent to which the proposed measures meet the criteria of importance,
scientific soundness, and feasibility; (2) the balance,
comprehensiveness, and robustness of the overall measure set; and (3)
the appropriateness of the data sources.
Comments Deadline
Written comments will be accepted by September 18, 2002. For
submission of written comments and additional information: Ed Kelley,
Ph.D., Senior Service Fellow, National Healthcare Quality Report,
Center for Quality Improvement and Patient Safety, Agency for
Healthcare Research and Quality, 6011 Executive Boulevard, Suite 200,
Rockville, MD 20852, Fax: (301) 594-2155, E-mail: ekelley@ahrg.gov.
Availability of Preliminary Measure Set
Copies of the Preliminary Measure Set are available from the AHRQ
Web site at: http://www.ahrg.gov/qual/measurix.htm. For organizations
without access to the Internet, AHRQ will make a paper version
available either through overnight mail or by fax upon written request.
Requests for paper versions of the preliminary measure set should be
faxed to the above number.
Public Review of Comments
Comments and responses received will be available for public
inspection at AHRQ's Information Resource Center (IRC) public reading
room between the hours of 8:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. on regular business days
at 2101 East Jefferson Street, Suite 500, Rockville, MD 20852.
Arrangements for viewing public comments may be made by calling (301)
594-6349. Responses may also be accessed through AHRQ's Electronic
Freedom of Information Reading Room
[[Page 53802]]
on AHRQ's Web site at http://www.ahrq.gov/news/foiaindx.htm.
Dated: August 9, 2002.
Carolyn M. Clancy,
Acting Director.
[FR Doc. 02-20920 Filed 8-6-02; 8:45 am]
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