DHHS Issues Draft Information
Quality Guidelines
May 3, 2002- The Department of Health and Human Services
(DHHS) published in the May 1 Federal Register [67
FR 21779] a request for public comment on its draft
guidelines for "ensuring and maximizing the quality,
objectivity, utility, and integrity" of information disseminated
by DHHS agencies. The department issued the draft guidelines
in compliance with a federal statute and a directive by the
Office of Management and Budget (OMB) establishing government-wide
standards for information quality.
The Department's proposed guidelines establish procedures
to ensure that all information disseminated by DHHS agencies,
including the NIH and CDC, meets specified standards for usefulness
and reliability. The guidelines further establish procedures,
as required by Congress, by which members of the public can
seek correction or revision to federally disseminated information
that does not meet these standards. Earlier this year, the
OMB allowed that scientific information that has been subjected
to independent peer review could be presumed to be objective
(a key criterion), although agencies are required to apply
additional standards of review where scientific information
is used to support new regulation [see
Washington Highlights, Jan.11, 2002].
In general, the proposed guidelines do not apply to federal
research grants or information published in the peer-reviewed
scientific literature. Nevertheless, given the volume and
importance of data disseminated by the Public Health Service
and the critical role played by the medical research community
in generating and applying public health information, the
AAMC urges constituents to review the draft guidelines. Comments
must be submitted to the DHHS by May 31, 2002. The final guidelines
will apply to all information released after Oct. 1, 2002.
Information:
Stephen Heinig, Senior Research Fellow
AAMC Biomedical Health Sciences Research
sheinig@aamc.org
(202) 828-0488
Get Washington Highlights
in your Inbox!
|
