(c) CERTAIN GRANT CONDITIONS.—A condition for
the receipt of a grant under subsection (a) is that the ap-
plicant involved meet the following requirements:
(1) The applicant agrees to carry out a pro-
gram to measure, analyze, and report patient safety
and medical errors at the hospital or other health
care provider involved, to submit to the Secretary a
description of the methodology that will be used, and
to have such program in effect as soon as prac-
ticable after the application for the grant is ap-
proved, without regard to whether information tech-
nologies under the grant have been implemented.
(2) The applicant has arranged for an evalua-
tion that addresses the effectiveness and cost-effec-
tiveness of the information technology for which the
grant is provided and its impact on the quality and
safety of patient care, submitted the evaluation plan
to the Secretary, and received approval from the
Secretary of the applicant’s methodology.
(3) The applicant has or is developing a patient
safety evaluation system (as that term is defined in
section 921 of the Public Health Service Act (as
amended by section 3)) for reporting health care er-
rors to a patient safety organization.
(4) The applicant agrees to provide the Sec-
retary with such information as the Secretary may
require regarding the use of funds under this pro-
gram or its impact.
(5) The applicant provides assurances satisfac-
tory to the Secretary that any information tech-
nology planned, acquired, or implemented with grant
funds under this section will be part of an informa-
tion program that—
(A) carries out the purposes described in
subsection (a); and
(B) is comprehensive or will be expanded
to become comprehensive, regardless of whether
Federal assistance is available for such expan-
sion.
(d) TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE TO GRANTEES.—The
Secretary, acting through the Director of the Agency for
Healthcare Research and Quality, shall provide technical
assistance to applicants and grantees to ensure the appro-
priate evaluation of the information technologies for which
grants are awarded under this section, such as—
(1) reviewing and providing technical assistance
on the applicant’s proposed evaluation;
(2) developing mechanisms to ensure ongoing
communications between grantees and evaluators to
facilitate the identification and resolution of prob-
lems as they arise, ensure mutual learning, and pro-
mote the rapid dissemination of information;
(3) reviewing the interim and final reports re-
quired under subsection (e); and
(4) disseminating evidence-based information in
interim and final reports to patient safety organiza-
tions, as appropriate.
(e) EVALUATION REPORTS BY GRANTEE.—A condi-
tion for the receipt of a grant under subsection (a) is that
the applicant agree to submit an interim and a final report
to the Secretary in accordance with this subsection.
(1) INTERIM REPORT.—Not later than 1 year
after the implementation of information technologies
under the grant is completed, the applicant will sub-
mit an interim report to the Secretary describing the
initial effectiveness of such technologies in carrying
out the purposes described in subsection (a).
(2) FINAL REPORT.—Not later than 3 years
after the implementation of information technologies
under the grant is completed, the applicant will sub-
mit a final report to the Secretary describing the ef-
fectiveness and cost-effectiveness of such tech-
nologies and addressing other issues determined to
be important in carrying out the purposes described
in subsection (a).
(3) RELATION TO DISBURSEMENT OF GRANT.—
In disbursing a grant under subsection (a), the Sec-
retary shall withhold 1⁄3 of the grant until the grant-
ee submits to the Secretary the report required in
paragraph (1).
(f) REPORTS BY SECRETARY.—
(1) INTERIM REPORTS.—
(A) IN GENERAL.—Through the fiscal year
preceding the fiscal year in which the final re-
port under paragraph (2) is prepared, the Sec-
retary shall submit to the Committee on Energy
and Commerce of the House of Representatives
and the Committee on Health, Education,
Labor, and Pensions of the Senate periodic re-
ports on the grant program under subsection
(a). Such reports shall be submitted not less
frequently than once each fiscal year, beginning
with fiscal year 2004.
(B) CONTENTS.—A report under subpara-
graph (A) shall include information on—
(i) the number of grants made;
(ii) the nature of the projects for
which funding is provided under the grant
program;
(iii) the geographic distribution of
grant recipients; and
(iv) such other matters as the Sec-
retary determines appropriate.
(2) FINAL REPORT.—Not later than 180 days
after the date on which the last of the reports is due
under subsection (e)(2), the Secretary shall submit
a final report to the committees referred to in para-
graph (1)(A) on the grant program under subsection
(a), together with such recommendations for legisla-
tion and administrative action as the Secretary de-
termines appropriate.
(g) DEFINITIONS.—For purposes of this section:
(1) The term ‘‘costs’’, with respect to informa-
tion technologies referred to in subsection (a), in-
cludes total expenditures incurred for—
(A) purchasing, leasing, and installing
computer software and hardware, including
hand-held computer technologies;
(B) making improvements to existing com-
puter software and hardware; and
(C) purchasing or leasing communications
capabilities necessary for clinical data access,
storage, and exchange.
(2) The term ‘‘health care provider’’ has the
same meaning given to the term ‘‘provider’’ in sec-
tion 921 of the Public Health Services Act (as
amended by this Act).
(h) TERMINATION OF GRANT AUTHORITIES.—The
authority of the Secretary to make grants under sub-
section (a) terminates upon the expiration of fiscal year
2011.
(i) MATCHING FUNDS.—
(1) IN GENERAL.—With respect to the costs of
a grant to be carried out under this section, such
grant may be made only if the applicant agrees to
make available (directly or through donations from
public or private entities) non-Federal contributions
toward such costs in an amount that is not less than
50 percent of such costs ($1 for each $1 of Federal
funds provided in the grant).
(2) DETERMINATION
OF
AMOUNTS
CONTRIB-
UTED.—Amounts provided by the Federal Govern-
ment, or services assisted or subsidized to any sig-
nificant extent by the Federal Government, may not