Notice2026-07642
Agency Information Collection Request; 60-Day Public Comment Request
Primary source
Metadata and text below are from the Federal Register, a public-domain U.S. government work. Always verify the official published version before relying on it for any legal matter.
Published
April 20, 2026
Issuing agencies
Health and Human Services Department
Abstract
In compliance with the requirement of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the Office of the Secretary (OS), Department of Health and Human Services, is publishing the following summary of a proposed collection for public comment.
Full Text
<html>
<head>
<title>Federal Register, Volume 91 Issue 75 (Monday, April 20, 2026)</title>
</head>
<body><pre>
[Federal Register Volume 91, Number 75 (Monday, April 20, 2026)]
[Notices]
[Pages 21006-21007]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2026-07642]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
[Document Identifier: OS-0955-0019]
Agency Information Collection Request; 60-Day Public Comment
Request
AGENCY: Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT, Office of the
Secretary, HHS.
ACTION: Notice.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: In compliance with the requirement of the Paperwork Reduction
Act of 1995, the Office of the Secretary (OS), Department of Health and
Human Services, is publishing the following summary of a proposed
collection for public comment.
DATES: Comments on the ICR must be received on or before June 22, 2026.
ADDRESSES: When commenting, please reference the document identifier/
OMB control number OS-0955-0019 and title of collection, ``National
Survey of Health Information Exchange Organizations (HIO)''. You may
send your comments electronically to Wei Chang, <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#9cebf9f5b2fff4fdf2fbdcf4f4efb2fbf3ea"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="7c0b1915521f141d121b3c14140f521b130a">[email protected]</span></a>.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: To obtain copies of supporting
material for the proposed collection(s) summarized in this notice,
please include the document identifier OS-0955-0019 and title of
collection ``National Survey of Health Information Exchange
Organizations (HIO)'' for reference, and address inquiries to Wei
Chang, <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#c4b3a1adeaa7aca5aaa384acacb7eaa3abb2"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="3344565a1d505b525d54735b5b401d545c45">[email protected]</span></a>, or call 202-706-8913.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Interested persons are invited to send
comments regarding this burden estimate or any other aspect of this
collection of information, including any of the following subjects: (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.
Title of the Collection: National Survey of Health Information
Exchange Organizations (HIO).
Type of Collection: Revision of a previously approved collection.
OMB No.: 0955-0019.
Abstract: Electronic health information exchange (HIE) was one of
three goals specified by Congress in the 2009 Health Information
Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act to ensure that
the $30 billion federal investment in certified electronic health
records (EHRs) resulted in higher-quality, lower-cost care. Subsequent
legislation and regulations have continued to prioritize the sharing of
data electronically across EHRs and other health information systems.
Within the Department of Health and Human Services, the Office of the
National Coordinator for Health IT (hereafter ONC) is responsible for
coordinating across the federal government, industry, and the health
care community to achieve nationwide interoperability of electronic
health information exchange. Health information exchange organizations
(HIOs) play a pivotal role facilitating health information exchange
across disparate providers, labs, pharmacies, public health
departments, and others. This information collection request will
gather data from HIOs across the nation through the administration of a
survey of HIOs to generate the most current national statistics and
associated actionable insights to inform policy efforts. The timely
collection of national data from our survey will assess current
capabilities of HIOs to support effective electronic information
sharing within the U.S. health care system and further aims to achieve
nationwide interoperability.
Since prior to HITECH there has been ongoing assessment of trends
in the capabilities of HIOs to support clinical exchange through
nationwide surveys of HIOs. These prior surveys and studies have
collected data on organizational structure, financial viability,
geographic coverage, scope of services, implementation and use of
standards, perceptions of information blocking, support for public
health exchange, and participation in networks and the Technical
Exchange Framework and Common Agreement (TEFCA). Continuing the ongoing
data collection will be critical to construct a current and
comprehensive picture of HIOs' role in facilitating exchange and
ensuring rapid access to important health care data and information
when it matters most, including vital data to address public health
emergencies.
The survey will collect data on HIO capabilities to support
electronic health information exchange, their maturity, and challenges
they face. There are five key areas that require assessment: (1)
adoption of technical standards; (2) perceptions related to information
blocking; (3) network-to-network connectivity and TEFCA; (4) public
health data exchange; and (5) organizational demographics, including
technical capabilities offered by HIOs and the challenges they face in
supporting electronic health information exchange.
The survey is being revised (previously approved in 2022 and 2024;
[[Page 21007]]
OMB Control No: 0955-0019) to reflect progress made and ongoing efforts
in areas including public health, TEFCA, and information blocking to
ensure alignment with current priorities such as improving public
health interoperability and Make Health Tech Great Again. These updates
were developed in consultation with subject matter experts (SMEs) to
improve the relevance, clarity, and usefulness of the data collected in
all five key areas of the survey. For example, certain questions with
low response rates and have lower relevance to current priorities have
been removed or reorganized. Some question and response wording have
also been updated to ensure consistency with current policy efforts.
For example, in the TEFCA section, the list of Qualified Health
Information Networks (QHINs) have been updated to reflect the current
list. These changes are intended to reduce respondent burden and
improve overall data quality while maintaining continuity with prior
surveys where appropriate.
This is a 3-year request for OMB approval.
Annualized Burden Hour Table
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Number of Average burden
Forms (if necessary) Respondents (if Number of responses per per response Total burden
necessary) respondents respondents (hours) hours
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
U.S. based 100 1 0.75 75
public and
private HIOs.
---------------------------------------------------------------
Total..................... ................ .............. .............. .............. 75
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Based on a review of the information collection since our last
request for OMB approval, we have made no adjustments to our burden
estimate.
Catherine Howard,
Paperwork Reduction Act Reports Clearance Officer, Office of the
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2026-07642 Filed 4-17-26; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4150-45-P
</pre><script data-cfasync="false" src="/cdn-cgi/scripts/5c5dd728/cloudflare-static/email-decode.min.js"></script></body>
</html>Indexed from Federal Register on April 20, 2026.
This is legal information, not legal advice. Laws vary by jurisdiction and change frequently. Always verify current law with official sources and consult a licensed attorney in your jurisdiction for advice on your specific situation.