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A -- RESEARCH SERVICES -- VISUAL IMPAIRMENTS SOL SSA-RFP-98-3537 DUE 063098 POC EILEEN CARNAGGIO, 410-965-7419 WEB: Download Solicitation when/if available, http://www.ssa.gov/oag. E-MAIL: Contracting Officer, SSA/OAG, EILEEN.CARNAGGIO@ssa.gov. The Social Security Administration, Office of Disability and Income Security Programs plans to procure Research Services to Update the Listing of Impairments for Special Senses and Speech (2.00). The research will determine whether automated perimetry can be used to measure the visual fields under listings 2.03 and 2.04. The Listing of Impairments is used to determine if an individual will be found disabled under title II or XVI of the Social Security Act. The purpose of the contract is to provide the best possible medical research available to help bring the Listing of Impairments for Special Senses and Speech up to date in terms of the impact of changes in medicine over the last several years, and to provide information and data needed to enable an informed evaluation of the criteria SSA employs to evaluate these impairments. The ultimate goal is to revise the medical criteria in the listings based on state of the art medicine. The contractor will be required to perform basic and advanced research and will need to have credentials of the highest order to ensure the authority of their research findings and conclusions. Research efforts will entail design, planning, literature searches, consultation with academic and practice experts, evidence- based research, clinical trials and case study research as well. In addition to these comprehensive research techniques, researchers will be required to provide comprehensive final reports, both in writing and in oral presentation, to SSA medical policy staffs. The solicitation document contains a detailed description of the research requirements. The estimated period of performance is 18 months. Interested parties may request a copy of solicitation SSA-RFP-98-3537 by mailing a request to Eileen Keating Carnaggio at the above address OR by faxing a request to Eileen Keating Carnaggio, FAX # 410-966-9310. It is anticipated that the solicitation will be issued on or about May 29, 1998 with proposals due 30 days later. Only written requests for the solicitation will behonored. (0132)

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