Developing Outpatient Therapy Payment Alternatives

A Technical Expert Panel was convened to obtain expert and stakeholder input on the feasibility and value of proposed measures of therapy related information. A Special Open Door Forum (ODF) was held. This ODF introduced to a broad audience the Developing Outpatient Therapy Payment Alternatives (DOTPA) project with a special emphasis on how data will be collected and how facilities, practices, and individual providers may become involved and contribute to the research. A variety of meetings with stakeholders have been conducted to obtain input, disseminate information about the project, and to lay the foundation for recruiting provider participants for the data collection activities. The annual therapy utilization report based on 2007 claims was completed and made available to the public (http://optherapy.rti.org/). The DOTPA Project Annual Report was completed and made available to the public (http://optherapy.rti.org/). The data collection design and instrument development were completed and a Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) package was submitted for approval by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). The Federal Register notice for public comment on this package was published on October 9, 2009 (Vol 74, No 195, page 52236). Once the PRA package is approved, the contractor will begin data collection. While approval is pending, the contractor is recruiting potential participants in the data collection, developing training materials for participants, and updating the project website http://optherapy.rti.org/ .