### 14044 Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 48 / Wednesday, March 12, 2014 / Notices

The total annual burden hours estimated for this ICR are summarized in the table below.



### TOTAL 

### E STIMATED 

### ANNUALIZED 

### B URDEN

### —H OURS

Form name Number of respondents Number of responses per

respondent Average burden per response (in hours) Total burden hours

Cost Tool ......................................................................................................... 30 1 8 240 Implementation Tool ........................................................................................ 30 1 1 30 Staff Time Use Survey .................................................................................... 600 2 20/60 400 Economic Evaluation Form .............................................................................. 15 1 3 45

Total .......................................................................................................... 715

OS specifically requests comments on (1) the necessity and utility of the proposed information collection for the proper performance of the agency’s functions, (2) the accuracy of the estimated burden, (3) ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected, and (4) the use of automated collection techniques or other forms of information technology to minimize the information collection burden.

Darius Taylor, Deputy, Information Collection Clearance Officer.
[FR Doc. 2014–05286 Filed 3–11–14; 8:45 am]

**BILLING CODE 4150–30–P**

**DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES** 

**Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality** 

**Meeting of the National Advisory Council for Healthcare Research and**  **Quality**

**AGENCY :**  Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ).

**ACTION :**  Notice of public meeting.

**SUMMARY :**  In accordance with section 10(a) of the Federal Advisory Committee Act, 5 U.S.C. App. 2, this notice announces a meeting of the National Advisory Council for Healthcare Research and Quality.

**DATES :**  The meeting will be held on Friday, April 4, 2014, from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

**ADDRESSES :**  The meeting will be held at the Eisenberg Conference Center, Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, 540 Gaither Road, Rockville, Maryland 20850.

**FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT :**  Jaime Zimmerman, Designated Management Official, at the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, 540 Gaither Road, Rockville, Maryland 20850, (301) 427–1456. For press-related information, please contact Alison Hunt at (301) 427–1244.

If sign language interpretation or other reasonable accommodation for a disability is needed, please contact the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Office of Equal Employment Opportunity and Diversity Management on (301) 827–4840, no later than Friday, March 21, 2014. The agenda, roster, and minutes are available from Ms. Bonnie Campbell, Committee Management Officer, Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, 540 Gaither Road, Rockville, Maryland 20850. Ms. Campbell’s phone number is (301) 427–

1554.

**SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION :**  I. Purpose

The National Advisory Council for Healthcare Research and Quality is authorized by Section 941 of the Public Health Service Act, 42 U.S.C. 299c. In accordance with its statutory mandate, the Council is to advise the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services and the Director, Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), on matters related to AHRQ’s conduct of its mission including providing guidance on (A) priorities for health care research, (B) the field of health care research including training needs and information dissemination on health care quality and (C) the role of the Agency in light of private sector activity and opportunities for public private partnerships.

The Council is composed of members of the public, appointed by the Secretary, and Federal ex-officio members specified in the authorizing legislation. II. Agenda

On Friday, April 4, 2014, there will be a subcommittee meeting for the National Healthcare Quality and Disparities Report scheduled to begin at 7:30 a.m. The subcommittee meeting is open the public. The Council meeting will convene at 8:30 a.m., with the call to order by the Council Chair and approval of previous Council summary notes. The meeting is open to the public. The meeting will begin with the AHRQ Director presenting an update on current research, programs, and initiatives. Following the Director’s Update, the agenda will include an update from the subcommittee on Strategic Direction, an update on Health Insurance Coverage Expansion and a discussion on Delivery System Reform. The final agenda will be available on the AHRQ Web site at www.AHRQ.gov no later than Friday, March 28, 2014.

Dated: February 26, 2014. Richard Kronick, AHRQ Director.
[FR Doc. 2014–05353 Filed 3–11–14; 8:45 am]

**BILLING CODE 4160–90–P**

**DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES** 

**Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality** 

**Solicitation for Nominations for Members of the U.S. Preventive**  **Services Task Force (USPSTF)**

**AGENCY :**  Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), HHS.

**ACTION :**  Solicits nominations for new members of USPSTF.

**SUMMARY :**  The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) invites nominations of individuals qualified to serve as members of the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF).

**DATES :**  All nominations submitted in writing or electronically will be considered for appointment to the USPSTF. Nominations must be received by May 15th of a given year to be


### 14045 Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 48 / Wednesday, March 12, 2014 / Notices

considered for appointment to begin in January of the following year. Arrangement for Public Inspection

Nominations and applications are kept on file at the Center for Primary Care, Prevention, and Clinical Partnerships, AHRQ, and are available for review during business hours. AHRQ does not reply to individual nominations, but considers all nominations in selecting members. Information regarded as private and personal, such as a nominee’s social security number, home and email addresses, home telephone and fax numbers, or names of family members will not be disclosed to the public (in accord with the Freedom of Information Act, 5 U.S.C. 552(b)(6); 45 CFR 5.67).

Nomination Submissions

Nominations may be submitted in writing or electronically, but should include:

1. The applicant’s current curriculum vitae and contact information, including mailing address, email address, and telephone number, and

2. A letter explaining how this individual meets the qualification requirements and how he/she would contribute to the USPSTF. The letter should also attest to the nominee’s willingness to serve as a member of the USPSTF.

AHRQ will later ask persons under serious consideration for USPSTF membership to provide detailed information that will permit evaluation of possible significant conflicts of interest. Such information will concern matters such as financial holdings, consultancies, and research grants or
contracts.

To obtain a diversity of perspectives, AHRQ particularly encourages nominations of women, members of minority populations, and persons with disabilities. Interested individuals can self-nominate. Organizations and individuals may nominate one or more persons qualified for membership on the USPSTF at any time. Individuals nominated prior to May 15, 2013, who continue to have interest in serving on the USPSTF, should be re-nominated. Qualification Requirements

To qualify for the USPSTF and support its mission, an applicant or nominee should, at a minimum, demonstrate knowledge, expertise and national leadership in the following

areas:

1. The critical evaluation of research published in peer reviewed literature and in the methods of evidence review; 2. Clinical prevention, health promotion and primary health care; and

3. Implementation of evidence-based recommendations in clinical practice including at the clinician-patient level, practice level, and health system level.

Additionally, the Task Force benefits from members with expertise in the following areas:

D Public health

D Health equity and the reduction of health disparities

D Application of science to health policy

D Communication of scientific findings to multiple audiences including health care professionals, policy makers and the general public.

Candidates with experience and skills in any of these areas should highlight them in their nomination materials.

Applicants must have no substantial conflicts of interest, whether financial, professional, or intellectual, that would impair the scientific integrity of the work of the USPSTF and must be willing to complete regular conflict of interest disclosures.

Applicants must have the ability to work collaboratively with a team of diverse professionals who support the mission of the USPSTF. Applicants must have adequate time to contribute substantively to the work products of the USPSTF.

**ADDRESSES :**  Submit your responses either in writing or electronically to: Joya Chowdhury, ATTN: USPSTF Nominations, Center for Primary Care, Prevention, and Clinical Partnerships, Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, 540 Gaither Road, Rockville, Maryland 20850, USPSTFmember nominations@ahrq.hhs.gov

. Nominee Selection

Nominated individuals will be selected for the USPSTF on the basis of their qualifications (in particular, those that address the required qualifications, as outlined) and the current expertise needs of the USPSTF. It is anticipated that new members will be invited to serve on the USPSTF beginning in January, 2015. All nominated individuals will be considered; however, strongest consideration will be given to individuals with demonstrated training and expertise in the area of family medicine. AHRQ will retain and may consider nominations received this year and not selected during this cycle for future vacancies.

Some USPSTF members without primary health care clinical experience may be selected based on their expertisein methodological issues such as metaanalysis, analytic modeling or clinical epidemiology. For individuals with clinical expertise in primary health care, additional qualifications in methodology would enhance their candidacy.

**FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT :**  Joya Chowdhury at USPSTFmember nominations@ahrq.hhs.gov.

**SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION :**  Background

Under Title IX of the Public Health Service Act, AHRQ is charged with enhancing the quality, appropriateness, and effectiveness of health care services and access to such services 42 U.S.C. 299(b). AHRQ accomplishes these goals through scientific research and promotion of improvements in clinical practice, including clinical prevention of diseases and other health conditions. See 42 U.S.C. 299(b).

The USPSTF, an independent body ofexperts in prevention and evidencebased medicine, works to improve the health of all Americans by making evidence-based recommendations about the effectiveness of clinical preventive services and health promotion. The recommendations made by the USPSTF address clinical preventive services for adults and children, and include screening tests, counseling services, and preventive medications.

The USPSTF was first established in 1984 under the auspices of the U.S. Public Health Service. Currently, the USPSTF is convened by the Director of AHRQ, and AHRQ provides ongoing scientific, administrative, and dissemination support for the USPSTF’s operation. USPSTF members serve four year terms. New members are selected each year to replace those members who are completing their appointments.

The USPSTF is charged with rigorously evaluating the effectiveness, appropriateness and cost-effectiveness of clinical preventive services and formulating or updating recommendations regarding the appropriate provision of preventive services. See 42 U.S.C. 299b–4(a)(1). Current USPSTF recommendations and associated evidence reviews are available on the Internet ( www. uspreventiveservicestaskforce.org)

.

USPSTF members currently meet three times a year for two days in the Washington, DC area. A significant portion of the USPSTF’s work occurs between meetings during conference calls and via email discussions. Member duties include prioritizing topics, designing research plans, reviewing and commenting on systematic evidence reviews of evidence, discussing and making recommendations on preventive services, reviewing stakeholder


### 14046 Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 48 / Wednesday, March 12, 2014 / Notices

comments, drafting final recommendation documents, and participating in workgroups on specific topics and methods. Members can expect to receive frequent emails, can expect to participate in multiple conference calls each month, and can expect to have periodic interaction with stakeholders. AHRQ estimates that members devote approximately 200 hours a year outside of in-person meetings to their USPSTF duties. The members are all volunteers and do not receive any compensation beyond support for travel to in person meetings.

Dated: February 26, 2014. Richard Kronick, AHRQ Director.
[FR Doc. 2014–05354 Filed 3–11–14; 8:45 am]

**BILLING CODE 4160–90–P**

**DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES** 

**Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality** 

**Scientific Information Request on Radiotherapy Treatments for Head and**  **Neck Cancer**

**AGENCY :**  Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), HHS.

**ACTION :**  Request for scientific information submissions.

**SUMMARY :**  The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) is seeking scientific information submissions from the public on 3-Dimensionsal ConformalRadiotherapy (3DRT), IntensityModulated Radiotherapy (IMRT), Stereotactic Body Radiotherapy (SBRT), and Proton Beam Radiotherapy (PBRT). Scientific information is being solicited to inform our update review of Radiotherapy Treatments for Head and Neck Cancer, which is currently being conducted by the Evidence-based Practice Centers for the AHRQ Effective Health Care Program. Access to published and unpublished pertinent scientific information on 3- Dimensionsal Conformal Radiotherapy (3DRT), Intensity-Modulated Radiotherapy (IMRT), Stereotactic Body Radiotherapy (SBRT), and Proton Beam Radiotherapy (PBRT) will improve the quality of this review. AHRQ is conducting this comparative effectiveness review pursuant to Section 1013 of the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act of 2003, Public Law 108–173, and Section 902(a) of the Public Health Service Act, 42 U.S.C. 299a(a).

**DATES :**  Submission Deadline on or before April 11, 2014. **ADDRESSES :**  Online submissions: http:// effectivehealthcare.AHRQ.gov/index.cfm/submit-scientificinformation-packets/. Please select the study for which you are submitting information from the list to upload your documents.

Email submissions: SIPS@epc-src.org. Print submissions: Mailing Address: Portland VA Research Foundation, Scientific Resource Center, ATTN: Scientific Information Packet Coordinator, P.O. Box 69539, Portland, OR 97239.

Shipping Address (FedEx, UPS, etc.): Portland VA Research Foundation, Scientific Resource Center, ATTN: Scientific Information Packet Coordinator, 3710 SW U.S. Veterans Hospital Road, Mail Code: R&D 71, Portland, OR 97239.

**FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT :**  Robin Paynter, Research Librarian, Telephone: 503–220–8262 ext. 58652 or Email: SIPS@epc-src.org.

**SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION :**  The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality has commissioned the EffectiveHealth Care (EHC) Program Evidencebased Practice Centers to complete an updated review of the evidence for Radiotherapy Treatments for Head and Neck Cancer.

The EHC Program is dedicated to identifying as many studies as possible that are relevant to the questions for each of its reviews. In order to do so, we are supplementing the usual manual and electronic database searches of the literature by requesting information from the public (e.g., details of studies conducted). We are looking for studies that report on Radiotherapy Treatments for Head and Neck Cancer, including those that describe adverse events. The entire research protocol, including the key questions, is also available online
at: http://effectivehealthcare.AHRQ.gov/ehc/products/569/1852/head-neckcancer-update-140204.pdf

. This notice is to notify the public that the EHC program would find the following information on 3- Dimensionsal Conformal Radiotherapy (3DRT), Intensity-Modulated Radiotherapy (IMRT), Stereotactic Body Radiotherapy (SBRT), and Proton Beam Radiotherapy (PBRT) helpful:

• A list of completed studies your company has sponsored for this indication. In the list, indicate whether results are available on ClinicalTrials.gov along with the ClinicalTrials.gov trial number.

• For completed studies that do not have results on ClinicalTrials.gov, a summary, including the following elements: study number, study period, design, methodology, indication and diagnosis, proper use instructions, inclusion and exclusion criteria, primary and secondary outcomes, baseline characteristics, number of patients screened/eligible/enrolled/lost to follow-up/withdrawn/analyzed, effectiveness/efficacy, and safety results.

• A list of ongoing studies your company has sponsored for this indication. In the list, please provide the ClinicalTrials.gov trial number or, if the trial is not registered, the protocol for the study including a study number, the study period, design, methodology, indication and diagnosis, proper use instructions, inclusion and exclusion criteria, and primary and secondary
outcomes.

• Description of whether the above studies constitute ALL Phase II and above clinical trials sponsored by your company for this indication and an index outlining the relevant information in each submitted file.

Your contribution is very beneficial to the Program. The contents of all submissions will be made available to the public upon request. Materials submitted must be publicly available or can be made public. Materials that are considered confidential; marketing materials; study types not included in the review; or information on indications not included in the review cannot be used by the Effective Health Care Program. This is a voluntary request for information, and all costs for complying with this request must be borne by the submitter.

The draft of this review will be posted on AHRQ’s EHC program Web site and available for public comment for a period of 4 weeks. If you would like to be notified when the draft is posted, please sign up for the email list at: http://effectivehealthcare.AHRQ.gov/ index.cfm/join-the-email-list1/.

The systematic review will answer the following questions. This information is provided as background. AHRQ is not requesting that the public provide answers to these questions. The entire research protocol, is also available online at: http:// effectivehealthcare.AHRQ.gov/ehc/products/569/1852/head-neck-cancerupdate-140204.pdf Key Questions (KQs)
Key Question 1

What is the comparative effectiveness of 3DRT, IMRT, SBRT, and PBRT regarding adverse events and quality of life (QoL)?