HRSA issues second call for comment on IT program

The Health Resources and Services Administration had no takers on its first call for comments on its rural health IT support program, so it reiterated that call, inquiring whether it is asking the right questions of program participants.

HRSA's Rural Health Information Technology Network Development Program has awarded grants of up to $300,000 each year to 41 rural healthcare organizations for their IT needs, including the installation of broadband networks and to provide training for staff. In return, the agency collects information from its grantees about the program itself as well as the people these providers serve. Some of the data is used by HRSA for its own program management needs and some for reports it must file with Congress, according to the announcement in the Federal Register. 

In March, it published an initial call for comments but got no response when it asked about the necessity and utility of the proposed information collection for the proper performance of the agency's functions, the accuracy of the estimated burden, ways to enhance the quality, utility and clarity of the information to be collected, and the use of automated collection techniques or other forms of information technology to minimize the information collection burden.

HRSA's two published requests estimated the time it would take each grantee to report on all the things it's asking is around 5 to 6 hours.

“The Office of Rural Health Policy updates performance measures over the course of the program,” said HRSA spokeswoman Michelle Daniels in an e-mail. “The Federal Register notice is soliciting feedback from grantees on those updates.” Daniels said she “can't say why they haven't responded at this time.”

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