[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 188 (Wednesday, September 28, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 66666-66667]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-23392]
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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
National Institutes of Health
The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) COPD
National Action Plan; Request for Public Comments
SUMMARY: NHLBI, with input from federal and nonfederal partners, is
developing the COPD National Action Plan to help guide stakeholders
nationwide in their efforts to reduce the burden of Chronic Obstructive
Pulmonary Disease (COPD). The purpose of this notice is to seek public
input on the current draft of the COPD National Action Plan.
DATES: To ensure consideration, your responses must be received by
Friday, October 28, 2016.
ADDRESSES: Responses to this Notice must be submitted electronically
using either the web-based format at http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/educational/copd/get-involved/town-hall.htm or email to
[email protected].
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Lenora E. Johnson, DrPH; Director,
Office of Science Policy, Engagement, Education, and Communications;
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute; 9000 Rockville Pike, Bldg.
31, MSC 2480, Bethesda, MD 20892-2480, Telephone: 301-496-4236, Fax:
301-402-2405.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
The NHLBI--part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH)--plans,
conducts, and supports research related to the causes, prevention,
diagnosis, and treatment of heart, blood vessel, lung, and blood
diseases; and sleep disorders. The NHLBI is the NIH institute with
primary responsibility for portfolio of research related to lung
diseases.
The NHLBI provides global leadership for research, training, and
education programs to promote the prevention and treatment of heart,
lung, and blood diseases and enhance the health of all individuals so
that they can live longer and more fulfilling lives. The Institute
[[Page 66667]]
also administers national health education campaigns on COPD, women and
heart disease, healthy weight for children, and other topics. NHLBI
press releases and other materials are available online at
www.nhlbi.nih.gov.
The importance of COPD as a public health issue was highlighted by
the Senate Appropriations Committee in fiscal year 2012 with its charge
to the NHLBI ``to work with community stakeholders and other federal
agencies, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
(CDC), to develop a national action plan to respond to the growing
burden of this disease.'' A letter from Reps. John Lewis, Dave Joyce
and Carol Shea-Porter in November 2014 to Dr. Thomas Frieden, Director
of the CDC, and Dr. Francis Collins, Director of the NIH, requested
``that the NIH and the CDC create a National Action Plan for COPD in
fiscal year 2015.''
In response to these requests and in collaboration with CDC and
other federal partners, the NHLBI organized several trans-governmental
preparatory workshops to discuss the development of such a plan. These
workshops informed the establishment of six initial core goals to be
addressed by the COPD National Action Plan.
In early 2016, the NHLBI hosted a COPD Town Hall Meeting with both
federal and nonfederal stakeholders, including patients and their
families. During the two-day meeting, attendees were invited to join
one of six working groups, each charged with developing objectives,
strategies, and benchmarks for a specified goal. The recommendations
made by the working groups directly informed the development of the
full draft of the COPD National Action Plan that is now available for
public input.
Following the public comment period, the NHLBI will incorporate the
feedback, finalize the COPD National Action Plan, and post the document
for the public via the NHLBI Web site.
Information Requested
This notice invites public comment on the draft COPD National
Action Plan draft. We ask that the public review the draft and provide
feedback on its content, strategies, and tactics, as well as the
opportunities it suggests organizations consider to help reduce the
burden of COPD.
Input is being sought on each of the areas identified below, and
respondents can provide comment to select areas or all of them.
(1) Goal 1: Empower people with COPD, their families, and
caregivers to recognize and reduce the burden of COPD.
(2) Goal 2: Improve the prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and
management of COPD by promoting and sustaining the education and
training of health care professionals.
(3) Goal 3: Collect, analyze, disseminate, and report COPD-related
public health data that drives change and tracks progress.
(4) Goal 4: Increase and sustain research to better understand
prevention, pathogenesis, diagnosis, treatment, and management of COPD.
(5) Goal 5: Translate national policy, education, and program
recommendations into legislative, research, and public health care
actions.
(6) Additional comments, information, or suggestions about
organizations that should be part of the COPD National Action Plan
implementation.
General Information
All of the fields in the response are optional and voluntary. Any
personal identifiers will be removed when responses are compiled.
Proprietary, classified, confidential, or sensitive information should
not be included in your response. This notice is for planning purposes
only and is not a solicitation for applications or an obligation on the
part of the United States (U.S.) government to provide support for any
ideas identified in response to it. Please note that the U.S.
government will not pay for the preparation of any comment submitted or
for its use of that comment.
Please provide your name and email address so that we can follow up
with you should we have any questions regarding your submission. If you
are a member of a particular advocacy or professional organization,
please indicate the name and primary focus of the organization (i.e.,
research support, patient care, etc.) and whether you are responding on
behalf of your organization. If you are not, please indicate your
position within the organization.
Privacy Act Notification Statement: We are requesting your comments
on the draft COPD National Action Plan. The information you provide may
be disclosed to NHLBI staff and contractors working on our behalf.
Submission of this information is voluntary. However, the information
you provide will help us develop a more complete COPD National Action
Plan. Additionally, contact details will allow us to follow up with you
should there be any questions to your feedback.
Collection of this information is authorized under 42 U.S.C. 203,
24 1, 2891-1 and 44 U.S.C. 310 I and Section 30 l and 493 of the Public
Health Service Act regarding the establishment of the National
Institutes of Health, its general authority to conduct and fund
research and to provide training assistance, and its general authority
to maintain records in connection with these and its other functions.
Dated: September 21, 2016.
Gary H. Gibbons,
Director, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, National
Institutes of Health.
[FR Doc. 2016-23392 Filed 9-27-16; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4140-01-P