Draft NPDB Guidebook open for public comment

The National Practitioner Data Bank (NPDB) is revising the NPDB Guidebook to incorporate legislative and regulatory changes adopted since its last edition, including the merger of the NPDB with the Healthcare Integrity and Protection Data Bank. The revised Guidebook will offer more and clearer examples of when and how to report and query, more useful tables explaining Data Bank policies, and live links to statutes, regulations, and the NPDB website.

A draft of the Guidebook is available for public comment through at least January 10, 2014. The comment period may be extended if necessary, according to the NPDB website. To receive an electronic PDF copy of the draft Guidebook, email the Division of Practitioner Data Banks. After review, you can submit comments to the same email address. All comments will be collected via email, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA).

When submitting remarks, the Data Bank requests that commenters:

• Reference the page number(s) each comment addresses
• Ensure comments are specific and relate to the clarity of the NPDB Guidebook's content, as regulatory or statutory concerns are beyond the scope of the comment process
• Address  remarks to Ms. Ernia Hughes, acting director of the Division of Practitioner Data Banks.

Source: HRSA