Information Quality Guidelines
Ensuring and Maximizing the Quality, Objectivity, Utility,
and Integrity of Information Disseminated by Federal Agencies
Section 515 of the Treasury and General Government Appropriations
Act for Fiscal Year 2001 (Public Law 106-554; H.R. 5658) directs
the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to issue government-wide
guidelines on policy and procedural guidance to Federal agencies
to ensure and maximize the quality, objectivity, utility, and
integrity of information (including statistical information)
disseminated by Federal agencies.
Effective October 1, 2002, Federal agencies have issued
their own implementing guidelines that include administrative
mechanisms allowing affected persons to seek and obtain correction
of information maintained and disseminated by an agency if that
information does not comply with the OMB guidelines.
The quality review procedures described in these guidelines
apply to information disseminated by Federal agencies on or
after October 1, 2002. The administrative correction mechanisms
outlined in the guidelines apply to information disseminated
on or after October 1, 2002, regardless of when it was first
disseminated.
HHS Information Quality Guidelines
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Guidelines
are available at:
http://aspe.hhs.gov/infoquality/
The HHS Guidelines include department-wide umbrella policies
and guidelines, operating Agency specific guidelines, and administrative
mechanisms to request correction of applicable information.
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Agency for Healthcare
Research and Quality Guidelines
The specifics for AHRQ are available at:
http://aspe.hhs.gov/infoquality/Guidelines/AHRQinfo.shtml
The guidelines apply to information in all media (e.g., print,
electronic) and apply primarily to the dissemination of substantive
information (e.g., reports, studies, and summaries relating
to the findings and related products of AHRQ research) rather
than on information pertaining to basic Agency operations not
intended for public dissemination.
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Customer Feedback
Complaints or requests for review and correction of information
shall be in written hard copy or electronic form. They shall
be sent to the Agency by regular or electronic mail.
Letters (written hard copy) should be sent to:
Office of the Director
Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
Suite 3000, Eisenberg Building
540 Gaither Road
Rockville, MD 20850
Electronic mail should be sent to info@ahrq.gov.
Complaints should state "Information Quality Concern" in the
subject line. The body of the complaint shall state that a request
for correction of information is being submitted.
Specifics on what is covered and how to submit a concern are
provided in the Agency guidelines.
Current as of November 2006
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