iThe U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) has released an updated draft of the National Practitioner Data Bank (NPDB) Guidebook for public comment. The long-awaited draft is the first update released to the NPDB Guidebook since September 2001.
The new draft of the Guidebook incorporates legislative and regulatory changes since the last draft and reflects the entire range of NPDB policies, including those that have changed or expanded since the NPDB opened in September 1990. According to the NPDB, public comment should help ensure the clarity of the revised content. The revised Guidebook offers:
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Legal and regulatory changes, including the merger of the NPDB and the Healthcare Integrity and Protection Data Bank
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More and clearer examples of when and how to report to and query the NPDB
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More useful tables explaining NPDB policies
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Live links to statutes, regulations, and the NPDB website.
The draft Guidebook is available for public comment until at least January 10, 2014. It is not yet clear when the updated Guidebook will be finalized. All comments should be submitted to NPDBPolicy@hrsa.gov. Instructions for submitting comments and requesting a copy of the draft Guidebook are available via the NPDB website.
