SOURCES SOUGHT
R -- Network of Patient Safety Databases
- Notice Date
- 3/13/2007
- Notice Type
- Sources Sought
- NAICS
- 541990
— All Other Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services
- Contracting Office
- Department of Health and Human Services, Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Contracts Management, 540 Gaither Road, Rockville, MD, 20850, UNITED STATES
- ZIP Code
- 00000
- Solicitation Number
- AHRQ-07-10033
- Response Due
- 3/15/2007
- Archive Date
- 3/30/2007
- Description
- Market Survey/Sources Sought ? Network of Patient Safety Databases In response to the 2005 Patient Safety and Quality Improvement Act, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), is conducting a market survey to seek potential small business sources (including 8(a), small disadvantaged, HUBZone, veteran-owned small business and service disabled veteran-owned small business) to establish and maintain a Network of Patient Safety Databases (NPSD) to fulfill the functions of such a network as specified in the Patient Safety and Quality Improvement Act. AHRQ is seeking potential sources from qualified small business firms under NAICS Code 541990 (size standard - $6.5 million) which can demonstrate the capability to create, operate, maintain, and enhance a Network of Patient Safety Databases. The Patient Safety and Quality Improvement Act (PSQIA) established a framework through which hospitals, doctors, and other health care providers can work to improve health care quality in a protected legal environment. The act extends legal privilege and confidentiality to health care providers voluntarily reporting patient safety events that harmed or could have harmed (close calls) and analyses of these events to patient safety organizations (PSO). PSOs that are listed by the Secretary of Health and Human Services will aggregate and analyze patient safety data to assist providers implement patient safety improvement strategies in a protected legal environment. Additionally, the act authorizes the Secretary to ?facilitate the creation of and maintain a network of patient safety databases that provides an interactive evidence-based management resource.? This network shall ?accept, aggregate across the network, and analyze non-identifiable patient safety work product voluntarily reported by patient safety organizations.? The Act also allows the Secretary to specify common formats for the reporting of patient safety information to the network and to provide technical assistance to PSOs. To facilitate a deeper level of analysis of patient safety events and to allow PSOs and providers access to an effective and robust resource for patient safety improvement, AHRQ proposes to create and support a Network of Patient Safety Databases. The Network will receive non-identifiable patient safety event information from PSOs primarily through the PSO Privacy Protection Center. It will have the capacity to receive non-identifiable, standardized patient safety information from PSOs not utilizing the PSO Privacy Protection Center and, potentially, from other entities. The Network will analyze the non-identifiable information received and create statistical reports useful to the patient safety community and to meet the reporting requirements of AHRQ. The Network will also serve as an interactive, evidence-based resource for PSOs and will work in close coordination with the PSO Privacy Protection Center in the distribution of analyses of patient safety information to the PSOs, providers, and other entities concerned with patient safety. The Network may be required to offer technical assistance to PSOs if requested by AHRQ and should be capable of providing such assistance. This market survey is for the Network of Patient Safety Databases. A separate market survey will be issued for the PSO Privacy Protection Center. Potential respondents to this market survey should note that the separation of the functions of the Privacy Protection Center and of the Network is intentional; the Privacy Protection Center will work with information supplied directly by PSOs while the Network will only handle standardized information that has been rendered non-identifiable. Hence, an organization can receive the contract for only one entity, the Privacy Protection Center or the Network, but not both. Specific work in this project will include establishing the Network of Patient Safety Databases, receiving non-identifiable, standardized information on patient safety events from the PSO Privacy Protection Center (and other entities as practical and relevant), creating statistical reports and tools to reduce risk to patients and to improve the quality of care, distributing these reports and tools, and serving as an interactive, evidence-based resource for PSOs. Potential related tasks include provision of technical assistance to PSOs. While only non-identifiable patient information should be received by the Network of Patient Safety Databases, an important aim remains to protect the security and confidentiality of all patient safety event information. Therefore, the Contractor must develop procedures and mechanisms that adhere to all Federal, DHHS and AHRQ IT security and confidentiality regulations. Potential sources must demonstrate in their response to this market survey their knowledge and expertise with all applicable confidentiality and security procedures (including the Privacy Act of 1974, Public Health Service Act, Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, the Patient Safety and Quality Improvement Act and other applicable AHRQ and DHHS regulations. The Contractor will need to retain at least one staff member who has a demonstrated understanding of the HIPAA and Patient Safety and Quality Improvement Act privacy rules and confidentiality protections. The Contractor will be required to develop a PSO Privacy Protection Center Security Plan and conduct regular security audits. The Contractor will be required to use an Earned Value Management System (EVMS) in the management of this contract that is consistent with ANSI/EIA-STD-748 guidelines. Potential sources must demonstrate in their response to this market survey their past experience with EVMS management. The key work of the Network of Patient Safety Databases is to conduct analyses that support efforts to track and improve patient safety. This work includes support of the National Healthcare Quality and Disparities Reports, analyses of trends and patterns of healthcare error at the national and regional levels and other analyses that support efforts to improve patient safety. The PSQIA also charges the Network of Patient Safety Databases to provide an interactive, evidence-based management resource for providers, PSOs and other entities. This resource may take the form of a web-based tool that allows users to search and browse the non-identifiable information submitted to the Network. This resource must conform to Federal, DHHS and AHRQ requirements in laws, policies and directives for information technology, capital planning and investment, and Internet information management and the security of agency information and systems. Potential offerors must demonstrate and describe their abilities and experience in developing and maintaining this type of resource in their response to this market survey. The Contractor will be required to provide general technical assistance to PSOs to include forming workgroups, establishing and maintaining a listserv, a central resource to provide advice to individual PSOs, the development of various types of products and tools to provide assistance to the PSOs, development of educational briefs (1-2 pages) each month, and the creation of tools or templates of use to PSOs. Interested sources should include in their responses to this market survey a demonstrated ability to provide technical assistance of this type. Sources must demonstrate expertise and personnel with relevant education and demonstrated experience in areas such as: ? Knowledge of the Patient Safety and Quality Improvement Act, activities of PSOs, and the function of the NPSD ? Knowledge of legal policies and procedures related to use of protected health information (HIPAA, etc) ? Knowledge of patient safety tools, resources, organizational leaders and subject matter experts ? Skills in processing and managing large clinical databases in a secure environment ? Skills in the analysis and interpretation of aggregated clinical data, especially patient safety reporting system data, to reduce risks to patients and to improve the quality of care ? Skills in managing and working with patient safety experts ? Ability to create knowledge-based reports to be used in the patient safety and health care quality environment ? Ability to develop an interactive resource that allows PSOs and providers to access patient safety event information to improve patient safety ? Expertise in developing and managing complex content-driven projects under tight timelines. A Project Management Institute (PMI)-certified or PMI-certification-eligible Project Manager is required as well as a demonstrated ability to provide Earned Value Management (EVM) information. Interested small businesses should submit their capability statements (no more than 10 pages in length) to: Sharon Williams, Contracting Officer, Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Division of Contracts Management, 540 Gaither Road, Rockville MD, 20850 E-mail: Sharon.williams@ahrq.hhs.gov Capability statements must be received no later than March 15, 2007, 4:00 p.m. Capability statements should address the specific requirements of this notice and identify the source's capabilities to complete this requirement, including, but not limited to information on key staff experience and education, and a description of corporate experience with similar projects. Capability statements should be submitted in an original and 2 copies or electronically. Electronic submissions should be submitted before noon to allow for processing.
- Record
- SN01249511-W 20070315/070313220259 (fbodaily.com)
- Source
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