Request for Information (RFI): Medical Technologies for Reducing Disparities in Healthcare Access and Health Outcomes

Notice Number: NOT-EB-07-009

Key Dates
Release Date: September 20, 2007
Response Receipt Date: November 15, 2007

Issued by
National Center on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NCMHD), (http://ncmhd.nih.gov/)
National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (NIBIB), (http://www.nibib.nih.gov/)

The purpose1 of this request for information is to seek input from the scientific community, health professionals, patient advocates, industry, and the general public about medical technologies that can lead to a reduction in disparities in healthcare access and health outcomes.  Appropriate medical technologies should be effective, affordable, culturally acceptable, and deliverable to those who need them.

Background
The mission of the National Center on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NCMHD) is to promote minority health and to lead, coordinate, support, and assess the NIH effort to reduce and ultimately eliminate health disparities.  As part of its strategic plan, the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (NIBIB) is committed to reducing health disparities through new and affordable medical technologies..  Together, the NCMHD and the NIBIB are interested in enhancing programs that support the development and translation of biomedical technologies that target health disparities and the health needs of ethnic minorities, low-resource rural and urban communities, low-income, and other underserved populations.

Additionally, the Department of Health and Human Services has identified six focus areas in which racial and ethnic minorities experience serious disparities in health access and outcomes: (1) infant mortality, (2) cancer screening and management, (3) cardiovascular disease, (4) diabetes, (5) HIV Infection/AIDS, and (6) immunization (http://www.cdc.gov/omhd/About/disparities.htm). 

Information Requested
Community input is sought to help guide the development of joint NCMHD/NIBIB programs, and potentially NIH-wide programs, where the overall goal is to reduce and eventually eliminate health disparities and significantly improve the health of underserved populations.  With this in mind, the NCMHD and the NIBIB are requesting responses to the following questions:

  1. What are the most promising medical technologies, new or existing, that could significantly reduce or eliminate disparities in healthcare access and health outcomes?
  2. What are the barriers to getting these technologies used by the targeted communities?  How would you overcome these barriers?
  3. How would you measure the impact of these technologies on healthcare access and health outcomes?

How to Submit a Response
Responses will be accepted until November 15, 2007, through the following Web site http://www.nibibmeetings.org/HDRFI. The form will limit the length of each response to the number of characters identified.

The collected information will be analyzed and may appear in reports. Although the NIH will try to protect against the release of identifying information there is no guarantee of confidentiality.

Respondents will receive an on-screen confirmation acknowledging receipt of their responses, but will not receive follow-up individualized feedback on any suggestions.  No basis for claims against the NIH shall arise as a result of a response to this RFI, or from the NIH’s use of such information as either part of its evaluation process or in developing any subsequent policy or announcement.

Inquiries

Inquiries or additional comments concerning this Notice may be directed to:

John Haller, Ph.D.
Division of Applied Science and Technology
National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering
6707 Democracy Blvd. Suite 200
Bethesda, MD 20892
Telephone: (301) 451-4780
Fax: (301) 480-1614
Email: hallerj@mail.nih.gov

Mr. Vincent A. Thomas, Jr., MSW, MPA
National Center on Minority Health and Health Disparities, NIH
6707 Democracy Blvd.
Suite 800, MSC 5465
Bethesda, MD 20892-5465
Phone: 301-402-2516
Fax:     301-480-4049
Email:  thomasvi@mail.nih.gov

1This RFI is for planning purposes only and should not be construed as a solicitation for applications or an obligation on the part of the government. The government will not pay for the preparation of any information submitted or for the government’s use of that information.


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