Congress directed IHS “to report back
within 120 days of enactment of this Act with a list of Tribes that
currently maintain their own non-RPMS electronic health record
systems along with cost estimates required for those Tribes to
implement, maintain, and make any necessary upgrades to these
systems.” Because the IHS does not routinely collect or maintain
this information, the Agency will issue a data call to Tribes and
Urban Indian Organizations in order to prepare the required report
to the requesting Committees.
The requirement from
Congress for IHS to report this information was published in the
Explanatory Statement that accompanied the Consolidated
Appropriations Act, 2021, signed into law on December 27, 2020. The
Explanatory Statement can be found at:
https://www.congress.gov/116/crec/2020/12/21/CREC-2020-12-21.pdf-bk4
It includes the following language: “The Committees direct the
[Indian Health] Service to report back within 120 days of enactment
of this Act with a list of Tribes that currently maintain their own
non-RPMS electronic health record systems along with cost estimates
required for those Tribes to implement, maintain, and make any
necessary upgrades to these systems. Further directions and
limitations on expenditures are provided in the bill.” The IHS does
not collect or maintain this information about Tribal investment
into non-RPMS EHR systems, so the only way that IHS can respond to
this requirement is by issuing a data call to the Tribes.
Congress directed IHS “to
report back within 120 days of enactment of this Act with a list of
Tribes that currently maintain their own non-RPMS electronic health
record systems along with cost estimates required for those Tribes
to implement, maintain, and make any necessary upgrades to these
systems.” Because the IHS does not routinely collect or maintain
this information, the Agency will issue a data call to Tribes and
Urban Indian Organizations in order to prepare the required report
to the requesting Committees.
On behalf of this Federal agency, I certify that
the collection of information encompassed by this request complies
with 5 CFR 1320.9 and the related provisions of 5 CFR
1320.8(b)(3).
The following is a summary of the topics, regarding
the proposed collection of information, that the certification
covers:
(i) Why the information is being collected;
(ii) Use of information;
(iii) Burden estimate;
(iv) Nature of response (voluntary, required for a
benefit, or mandatory);
(v) Nature and extent of confidentiality; and
(vi) Need to display currently valid OMB control
number;
If you are unable to certify compliance with any of
these provisions, identify the item by leaving the box unchecked
and explain the reason in the Supporting Statement.