Agency Information Collection Activities: Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Health Resources and Services Administration

Agency Information Collection Activities: Submission for OMB

Review; Comment Request

Periodically, the Health Resources and Services Administration

(HRSA) publishes abstracts of information collection requests under

review by the Office of Management and Budget, in compliance with the

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. Chapter 35). To request a

copy of the clearance requests submitted to OMB for review, call the

HRSA Reports Clearance Office on (301)-443-1129.

The following request has been submitted to the Office of

Management and Budget for review under the Paperwork Reduction Act of

1995:

Proposed Project: National Practitioner Data Bank for Adverse

Information on Physicians and Other Health Care Practitioners:

Regulations and Forms, OMB No. 0915-0126: Extension.

The National Practitioner Data Bank (Data Bank) was established

through Title IV of Public Law 99-660, the Health Care Quality

Improvement Act of 1986, as amended. Final Regulations governing the

Data Bank are codified at 45 CFR part 60. Responsibility for Data Bank

implementation and operation resides in the Bureau of Health

Professions, Health Resources and Services Administration, U.S.

Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS). The Data Bank began

operation on September 1, 1990.

The intent of Title IV of Public Law 99-660 is to improve the

quality of health care by encouraging hospitals, State licensing

boards, professional societies, and other entities providing health

care services, to identify and discipline those who engage in

unprofessional behavior; and to restrict the ability of incompetent

physicians, dentists, and other health care practitioners to move from

State to State without disclosure of the practitioners' previous

damaging or incompetent performance.

The Data Bank acts primarily as a flagging system; its principal

purpose is to facilitate comprehensive review of practitioners'

professional credentials and background. Information on medical

malpractice payments, adverse licensure actions, adverse clinical

privileging actions, and adverse professional society actions is

collected from, and disseminated to eligible entities. It is intended

that Data Bank information should be considered with other relevant

information in evaluating a practitioner's credentials.

This request is for an extension of reporting and querying forms

previously approved in February 1996. The reporting forms and the

request for information forms (query forms) may be accessed, completed,

and submitted to the Data Bank electronically through the use of a

program designated QPRAC 4 which is provided by the DHHS. The DHHS has

developed a separate query form for practitioners making self-queries.

This request also includes several administrative forms which have been

developed since the last clearance.

The following estimates of burden are based on actual Data Bank

operational experience:

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

Responses

Type of activity--45 CFR 60.0 Number of per Hours per response Total burden

respondents respondent hours

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

Reporting:

Reports Correcting Errors and 1,600 1.06 .25............................ 424

Omissions--60.6(a).

Reports of Revision to Actions 390 1.04 .75............................ 304

Previously Reported--60.6(b).

Report of Medical Malpractice 525 27.3285 .75............................ 10,760

Payments--60.7(b).

Reports of Adverse Actions by 125 32.56 .75............................ 3,053

State Medical and Dental Boards--

60.8(b).

Reports of Adverse Action 975 1.03 .75............................ 753

Regarding Clinical Privileges and

Professional Society Memberships--

60.9(a)3.

Entity Hearings:

Requests for Hearing by Entities-- *1 1 8.0............................ 8

60.9(c).

[[Page 4884]]

Requests for Information Disclosure

(Query):

Queries by Hospitals for 6,000 40 .083........................... 20,000

Practitioner Applications-- 5 Minutes

60.10(a)(1).

Queries by Hospitals--Two Year 6,000 160 .083........................... 80,000

Cycle--60.10(a)(2).

Queries by Hospitals--Peer Review-- (**) ............ ............................... ............

60.11(a)(1).

Queries by Practitioners (Self- 60,000 1 .50............................ 30,000

Query)--60.11(a)(2).

Queries by Licensure Boards-- 125 120 .083........................... 1,245

60.11(a)(3).

Queries by Non-Hospital Health 3,250 690 .083........................... 186,874

Care Entities--60.11(a)(4).

Queries by Plaintiff's Attorneys-- ***1 1 .30............................ .5

60.11(a)(5).

Queries by Non-Hospital Health *** ............ ............................... ............

Care Entities--Peer Review--

60.11(a)(6).

Requests by Researchers for 100 1 .50............................ 50

Aggregate Information--

60.11(a)(7).

Disputes:

Practitioner Places a Dispute in 1,200 1 .5............................. 600

His/Her Data Bank Report--

60.14(b).

Practitioner Places a Statement in 1,350 1 1.0............................ 1,350

His/Her Data Bank Report--

60.14(b).

Practitioner Requests Review of 135 1 8.0............................ 1,080

the Disputed Report by The

Secretary DHHS--60.14(b).

Administrative forms used in operating

the National Practitioner Data Bank;

Entity Registration Form.......... 150 1 1.0............................ 150

Entity Registration Update Form... 100 1 .25............................ 25

Authorized Agent Designation Form. 25 1 .25............................ 6.25

Authorized Agent Designation 5 1 .083........................... .42

Update.

Account Discrepancy Report........ 200 1 .25............................ 50

Electronic Transfer of Funds 25 1 .25............................ 6.25

Authorization.

Entity Reactivation............... 50 1 .25............................ 12.5

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

Total......................... ........... ............ ............................... 336,757

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*There have been no hearing requests from reporting entities since the opening of the Data Bank.

**We are unable to distinguish between these and other types of queries made by hospitals and other health care

entities.

***There have been approximately 12 attorney requests since the opening of the Data Bank; of these, one has been

granted.

Written comments and recommendations concerning the proposed

information collection should be sent within 30 days of this notice to:

Wendy A. Taylor, Human Resources and Housing Branch, Office of

Management and Budget, New Executive Office Building, Room 10235,

Washington, DC 20503.

Dated: January 26, 1999.

Jane Harrison,

Director, Division of Policy Review and Coordination.

[FR Doc. 99-2233 Filed 1-29-99; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4160-15-U