Privacy Act: Systems of records,

[Federal Register: April 12, 1999 (Volume 64, Number 69)]

[Notices]

[Page 17627-17629]

From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

[DOCID:fr12ap99-57]

DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Office of the Secretary

Privacy Act of 1974; System of Records

AGENCY: Office of the Secretary, DoD. ACTION: Notice to amend a system of records.

SUMMARY: The Office of the Secretary of Defense proposes to amend a system of records notice in its inventory of record systems subject to the Privacy Act of 1974 (5 U.S.C. 552a), as amended. DATES: The amendment will be effective on May 12, 1999, unless comments are received that would result in a contrary determination. ADDRESSES: Send comments to OSD Privacy Act Coordinator, Records Management Division, Washington Headquarters Services, 1155 Defense Pentagon, Washington, DC 20301-1155. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. David Bosworth at (703) 588-0159. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Office of the Secretary of Defense notices for systems of records subject to the Privacy Act of 1974 (5 U.S.C. 552a), as amended, have been published in the Federal Register and are available from the address above.

The proposed amendments are not within the purview of subsection (r) of the Privacy Act (5 U.S.C. 552a), as amended, which would require the submission of a new or altered system report for each system. The specific changes to the record system being amended are set forth below followed by the notice, as amended, published in its entirety.

[[Page 17628]]

Dated: April 5, 1999.

L. M. BYNUM, Alternate OSD Federal Register Liaison Officer, Department of Defense. DHA 08

SYSTEM NAME:

Health Affairs Survey Data Base (December 5, 1997, 62 FR 64364).

Change: * * * * *

RETRIEVABILITY:

Delete the first paragraph under Annual Beneficiary Survey: and replace with `1. Beneficiary Records: Records of beneficiaries who have been mailed a survey may be retrieved by name and address for purposes of initiating follow-up contacts to obtain a response to the survey; but after 90 days, the name and address are permanently deleted so that the survey respondent cannot be identified.' * * * * * DHA 08

SYSTEM NAME:

Health Affairs Survey Data Base (December 5, 1997, 62 FR 64364).

SYSTEM LOCATION:

Primary location: Directorate of Information Management, Fort Detrick, MD 21702-5020.

Secondary locations: Survey distribution and response tracking files are located at the contractor facilities.

Survey result data files are located at the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense (Health Affairs), the Commanders and Intermediate Commanders of the Services Medical Treatment Facilities, the Surgeons General of the Military Services and Regional Managers of TRICARE facilities. The addresses for the secondary locations may be obtained from the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense (Health Budgets and Programs), Five Skyline Place, Suite 810, 5111 Leesburg Pike, Falls Church, VA 22041-3206.

CATEGORIES OF INDIVIDUALS COVERED BY THE SYSTEM:

Annual Beneficiary Survey: Individuals eligible for health care under Title 10 (including active duty personnel, reserve personnel and their family members (dependents); retired Armed Forces personnel and their family members; surviving dependents of deceased active duty and retired personnel; and certain others including individuals and their dependents affiliated with the U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Public Health Service and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Customer Satisfaction Survey: Active duty members of the Armed Forces, civilian personnel, and contract personnel serving as health care providers for individuals eligible for health care under Title 10 in military medical and dental treatment facilities and other treatment settings.

CATEGORIES OF RECORDS IN THE SYSTEM:

Annual Beneficiary Survey: Name, rank, age, gender, race, address, sponsor Social Security Number and family member prefix code of individuals who will be surveyed; verification that a survey has been completed and returned by the individual; and response data from the completed surveys.

Customer Satisfaction Survey: Medical and dental care provider name, provider type, specialty and rank; medical treatment facility, and clinic where care was provided; and response data from the completed surveys.

AUTHORITY FOR MAINTENANCE OF THE SYSTEM:

5 U.S.C. 301, Departmental Regulations; 10 U.S.C. 138, Assistant Secretaries of Defense; 10 U.S.C. 1071 (NOTE); 10 U.S.C. Chapter 55; and E.O. 9397 (SSN).

PURPOSE(S):

Annual Beneficiary Survey: The survey collects information concerning beneficiary attitudes, perceptions, and opinions about their individual health and health care (including access to care, health status, use of care, familiarity with programs and services available, and satisfaction with care received) in order to assess, plan, evaluate, and improve quality, efficiency, convenience and cost effectiveness of health care services. This process includes analyses of information related to special interest health care subjects, including health status, in order to validate current and/or forecast future health care needs or to implement plans in response to new health care requirements. Retaining beneficiary specifics allows for individual follow-up to improve response rates; scientific analysis of the data; and to validate survey responses by comparing responses to independent sources of data.

Customer Satisfaction Survey: The survey collects information concerning beneficiary attitudes, perceptions, and opinions about health care provided during specific visits (including access to care, quality of care, satisfaction with how care was delivered, satisfaction with the specific care provider, and satisfaction with care received) in order to assess, plan, evaluate, and improve quality, efficiency, convenience and cost effectiveness of health care services. This process includes analyses of information related to special interest health care subjects, including health status, in order to validate current and/or forecast future health care needs or to implement plans in response to new health care requirements. Specific care provider information is analyzed in order to alert medical authorities to potential problem areas where additional educational and corrective measures may be required in order to improve customer satisfaction.

ROUTINE USES OF RECORDS MAINTAINED IN THE SYSTEM, INCLUDING CATEGORIES OF USERS AND THE PURPOSE OF SUCH USES:

In addition to those disclosures generally permitted under 5 U.S.C. 552a(b) of the Privacy Act, these records may specifically be disclosed outside the DoD as a routine use pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 552a(b)(3) as follows:

The `Blanket Routine Uses' set forth at the beginning of OSD's compilation of systems of records notices apply to this system.

POLICIES AND PRACTICES FOR STORING, RETRIEVING, ACCESSING, RETAINING, AND DISPOSING OF RECORDS IN THE SYSTEM: STORAGE:

Electronic records stored on magnetic and/or optical media.

RETRIEVABILITY:

Annual Beneficiary Survey:

1. Beneficiary Records: Records of beneficiaries who have been mailed a survey may be retrieved by name and address for purposes of initiating follow-up contacts to obtain a response to the survey; but after 90 days, the name and address are permanently deleted so that the survey respondent cannot be identified.

2. Response Records: Survey data is normally retrieved using demographic or other non-personalized elements.

3. The beneficiary and response records contain a randomly generated code which permits the identification of the survey respondent.

   Customer Satisfaction Survey:

1. Beneficiary Records: Records of beneficiaries who have been mailed a survey may be retrieved by name and address, but the beneficiary identifying personal data is deleted 20 days after the mailing of the survey when follow-up correspondence (a reminder) is sent to all individuals being surveyed.

2. Response Records: Records of care providers who furnished care at a specific facility/clinic may be retrieved

   [[Page 17629]]

   only by the facility/clinic commander by name, rank (if military), provider type (e.g., physician, clinical nurse, etc.) and specialty (e.g., pediatrician.

   SAFEGUARDS:

   Media at the primary location are stored in a locked cage in a controlled access area when not in use; when maintained at the contract location, media are stored in cabinets or storage areas when not being used and are placed in a locked container or space within a building that is secured after hours. Result data that includes patient or provider identification is maintained in locked storage cabinets or locked areas in buildings that are secured after hours. Only authorized personnel who have received Privacy Act training are permitted access to information in the system.

   Specific instructions are provided MTF commanders on the safeguards required in handling and maintaining Customer Satisfaction Survey information.

   RETENTION AND DISPOSAL:

   Hard copy surveys are destroyed after the information contained in survey responses is entered into a computer system.

   Annual Beneficiary Survey: Data files with beneficiary specifics and results will be retained until an appraisal and schedule is obtained from the National Archives and Records Administration.

   Customer Satisfaction Survey: Data files with results and provider specifics will be retained until an appraisal and schedule is obtained from the National Archives and Records Administration.

   SYSTEM MANAGER(S) AND ADDRESS: Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense (Health Budgets and Programs), Five Skyline Place, Suite 810, 5111 Leesburg Pike, Falls Church, VA 22041-3206.

   NOTIFICATION PROCEDURE:

   Individuals seeking to determine whether this system contains information about themselves should address written inquiries to the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense (Health Budgets and Programs)/ Program Review and Evaluation, Five Skyline Place, Suite 810, 5111 Leesburg Pike, Falls Church, VA 22041-3206.

   Annual Beneficiary Survey: A beneficiary should provide full name, sponsor's Social Security Number, family member prefix, and current address and telephone number of the individual.

   Customer Satisfaction Survey: A health care provider should provide name, current address, telephone number, and name of the medical facility and clinic should be supplied.

   RECORD ACCESS PROCEDURES:

   Individuals seeking access to records about themselves contained in this system should address written inquiries to the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense (Health Budgets and Programs), Five Skyline Place, Suite 810, 5111 Leesburg Pike, Falls Church, VA 22041-3206.

   Annual Beneficiary Survey: A beneficiary should provide full name, sponsor's Social Security Number, family member prefix, and current address and telephone number of the individual.

   Customer Satisfaction Survey: A health care provider should provide name, current address, telephone number, and name of the medical facility and clinic should be supplied.

   CONTESTING RECORD PROCEDURES:

   The OSD rules for accessing records and for contesting contents and appealing initial agency determinations are contained in OSD Administrative Instruction 81; 32 CFR part 311; or may be obtained from the system manager.

   RECORD SOURCE CATEGORIES:

   Sources include Services medical and dental treatment facilities and facilities contracted by DoD to perform medical care for Military members, former members and dependents. Survey information is provided by the individual patient or a parent or guardian of the individual patient. Demographic information that may be related to the patient is provided by the Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System (DEERS), the Ambulatory Data System (ADS), and the Composite Health Care System (CHCS).

   EXEMPTIONS CLAIMED FOR THE SYSTEM:

   None.

   [FR Doc. 99-8803Filed4-9-99; 8:45 am]

   BILLING CODE 5001-10-F