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[Federal Register: January 7, 2010 (Volume 75, Number 4)]
[Notices]               
[Page 996-997]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr07ja10-48]                         

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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality

 
Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act of 
2003 Section 1013: Request for Nominations--The Effective Health Care 
Stakeholder Group

AGENCY: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), DHHS.

ACTION: Notice of invitation to submit nominations for the Effective 
Health Care Stakeholder Group.

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SUMMARY: The DHHS Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) 
invites nominations from interested organizations and knowledgeable 
individuals for members of the Stakeholder Group to support the work of 
the Effective Health Care Program, established [for consultation] 
pursuant to Section 1013 of the Medicare Prescription Drug, 
Improvement, and Modernization Act (MMA) of 2003. The goals of this 
program are to develop evidence on the effectiveness and comparative 
effectiveness of different treatments and health care interventions of 
importance to the Medicare, Medicaid, and State Child Health Insurance 
programs. To achieve these goals, AHRQ supports projects to review, 
synthesize, generate, and translate scientific evidence, as well as 
identify important issues for which existing scientific evidence is 
insufficient to inform decisions about health care. The Effective 
Health Care Program makes the evidence information it develops readily 
available to health care decision makers. The Stakeholder Group is 
critical to the success of the Effective Health Care Program by 
providing input to improve the applicability and relevance of research 
products to health care decision makers. The Effective Health Care 
Program Stakeholder Group will be a part of the Citizen's Forum 
initiative, funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, to 
formally and broadly engage stakeholders, and to enhance and expand 
public involvement in the entire Effective Health Care enterprise.
    The role of the Stakeholder Group will be to:
     Provide guidance on program implementation including:
    i. Quality improvement.
    ii. Opportunities to maximize impact and expand program reach.
    iii. Ensuring stakeholder interests are considered and included.
    iv. Evaluating success.
     Provide input on implementing Effective Health Care 
Program reports and findings in practice and policy settings.
     Identify options and recommend solutions to issues 
identified by Effective Health Care Program staff.
     Provide input on critical research information gaps for 
practice and policy, as well as research methods to address them. 
Specifically:
    i. Information needs and types of products most useful to 
consumers, clinicians and policy makers.
    ii. Feedback on Effective Health Care Program reports, reviews and 
summary guides.
    iii. Scientific methods and applications.
     Champion objectivity, accountability and transparency in 
the Effective Health Care program.
    Members will serve as volunteers for a two-year period from summer 
2010 through summer 2012. Stakeholder Group members will attend 3-4 
meetings per year in Rockville, MD, and possibly other cities to be 
determined. Meetings will be 1-2 days in length, and AHRQ or a group 
designated by AHRQ will be responsible for travel planning and 
expenses. The first meeting will be held in late summer or early fall 
2010 in Rockville, MD.
    Members are expected to actively participate in meetings and to 
engage in related activities by phone and e-mail between meetings. 
Between-meeting work may include reviewing and providing input on the 
overall product development strategy and direction for the Effective 
Health care program, consulting with AHRQ staff on constituency issues, 
and serving as a resource to the Program. It is anticipated that the 
Stakeholder Group member time commitment between meetings will not 
exceed 10 hours.
    The Stakeholder Group will be composed of up to 20 members with a 
diversity of perspectives and opinions. The group will represent 
several broad constituencies of stakeholders and decision-makers at the 
policy, system, and clinical levels, which will include:
     Patient/caregiver/consumer.
     Consumers of Federal and State beneficiary programs.
     Healthcare providers.
     Third party healthcare payers (including, but not limited 
to public State or Federal Medicare or Medicaid programs, and private 
insurance health plans and Health Maintenance Organizations).
     Employers and health-related businesses.
     Pharmacy and therapeutic committees.

[[Page 997]]

     Healthcare, industry, and professional organizations.
     Academic researchers (including, but not limited to, those 
with expertise in evidence-based methods and effectiveness and 
translational research).
    Self-nominations are encouraged. Materials to be submitted include 
a cover letter and curriculum vitae or similar supportive 
documentation. The cover letter should provide information on how the 
nominee's experience, skills and roles would help to reflect the 
diverse perspectives and expertise of the group and help to address the 
functions and goals of the Stakeholder Group as described above. 
Specific information on nominee experience in the constituency groups 
described above is required. If nominating a second party, a statement 
of the nominee's permission and willingness to serve must be provided. 
Nominees chosen for the Stakeholder Group will be required to declare 
and submit conflict of interest documentation. Nominees may indicate 
their willingness to be considered in subsequent calls for nominations 
if not selected for this Stakeholder Group.
    All nominations received by the submission deadline will be 
reviewed by a committee composed of representatives from AHRQ. Nominees 
who best represent the broad constituencies sought for composition of 
the Stakeholder Group as described above, will be selected and notified 
by May 7, 2010.

DATES: Nominations for the Effective Health Care Stakeholder Group must 
be received by February 8, 2010.

ADDRESSES: Nominations for consideration may be e-mailed to 
EffectiveHealthCare@AHRQ.gov.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Effective Health Care Program at (301) 
427-1502 or EffectiveHealthCare@AHRQ.gov.
    More information about the Effective Health Care Program is 
available at http://www.EffectiveHealthCare. AHRQ.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Nominees not selected for the Stakeholder 
Group are invited to participate in the Effective Healthcare Program by 
making suggestions for research and providing comment on key questions 
and draft reviews. A listserv has been established and everyone 
interested may join to be notified when items become available for 
review or public comment. Opportunities for involvement in the 
Effective Health Care Program are described at http://www.EffectiveHealthCare.AHRQ.gov.

    Dated: December 22, 2009.
Carolyn M. Clancy,
Director.
[FR Doc. E9-31341 Filed 1-6-10; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4160-90-M
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