SOLICITATION NOTICE
R -- Horizon Scanning
- Notice Date
- 12/3/2015
- Notice Type
- Cancellation
- 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, Maryland, 20850
- ZIP Code
- 20850
- Solicitation Number
- HHS-AHRQ-SBSS-16-10003
- Archive Date
- 1/5/2016
- Point of Contact
- David Goodno, Phone: 301-427-1782, Jessica Alderton, Phone: 301 427-1783
- E-Mail Address
-
david.goodno@ahrq.hhs.gov, jessica.alderton@ahrq.hhs.gov
(david.goodno@ahrq.hhs.gov, jessica.alderton@ahrq.hhs.gov)
- Small Business Set-Aside
- N/A
- Description
- This is a Small Business Sources Sought notice. This is NOT a solicitation for proposals, proposal abstracts, or quotations. The purpose of this notice is to obtain information regarding: (1) the availability and capability of qualified small business sources; (2) whether they are small businesses; HUBZone small businesses; service-disabled, veteran-owned small businesses; 8(a) small businesses; veteran-owned small businesses; woman-owned small businesses; or small disadvantaged businesses; and (3) their size classification relative to the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code for the proposed acquisition. Your responses to the information requested will assist the Government in determining the appropriate acquisition method, including whether a set-aside is possible. An organization that is not considered a small business under the applicable NAICS code should not submit a response to this notice. Background The Horizon Scanning System seeks to identify, monitor, and evaluate new and emerging technologies, off-label uses, and new uses of existing technologies and services that may have a significant clinical, system, or cost impact on the provision of health care in the United States. The Horizon Scanning System is the first public horizon scanning system to focus on emerging health interventions and innovations within the unique political, regulatory, cultural, and economic context of the U.S. health care system. With funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) and the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) Trust Fund, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) implemented and continues to oversee the Healthcare Horizon Scanning System. A recent evaluation of the AHRQ Healthcare Horizon Scanning System found that the program was effective in identifying emerging health care interventions relevant to AHRQ Priority Conditions. Furthermore, the Horizon Scanning System effectively monitored and reported on these emerging health care interventions. These favorable findings have prompted the agency to continue the program. For more information, the current protocol and operations manual can be found at: http://www.effectivehealthcare.ahrq.gov/ehc/products/393/886/AHRQ-Healthcare-Horizon-Scan-Protocol-Operations-Manual_130826.pdf Purpose and Objectives The purpose of this contract is to continue the AHRQ horizon scanning system for one year to track "interventions" that are "new" and can potentially fill an "unmet need" and forecast which interventions may have potential for high impact in the healthcare system. The terms "interventions", "new" and "unmet need"as they relate to the AHRQ horizon scanning system and metrics to determine potential high impact are defined below. Project requirements Below is a summary of the key anticipated requirements for this acquisition. Other tasks, including but not limited to, quarterly progress reports and weekly progress calls, will be in the final requirement. Respondents will be expected to have the ability to complete all tasks described below. Implement the AHRQ Healthcare Horizon Scanning System: The contractor shall implement the healthcare horizon scanning system using transparent and clearly defined processes to identify and monitor novel interventions or new uses of existing interventions in health care that might address an unmet need. Activities may include but are not limited to: • Finalize draft protocol submitted with offerors proposal (see other important considerations) • Daily broad scanning and selection of topic "leads" by searchers • Determination of whether topic "leads" meet entry criteria including "newness" and entry of topic "leads" into the system • More in depth searching and profile development for topics chosen to be included in the system • Expert rating for determination of potential impact of topics • Topic monitoring, updating and reassessment of potential impact The horizon scanning system shall track interventions that are "new" and can potentially fill an "unmet need" pertinent to one or more of the 14 AHRQ Priority Conditions, namely: 1. Arthritis and non-traumatic joint disease 2. Cancer 3. Cardiovascular disease 4. Dementia (including Alzheimer's disease) 5. Depression and other mental health disorders 6. Developmental delays, ADHD, Autism 7. Diabetes mellitus 8. Functional limitations and disability 9. Infectious disease including HIV-AIDS 10. Obesity 11. Peptic ulcer disease and dyspepsia 12. Pregnancy, including preterm birth 13. Pulmonary disease, including asthma 14. Substance abuse For the purposes of horizon scanning, "intervention" encompasses drugs, devices, procedures, surgeries, care delivery innovations, diagnostics, and treatments. "New" innovations are items subject to FDA approval or marketing clearance that are in late phase development or in the first two years after FDA approval or marketing clearance, or novel off-label uses, new surgery approaches, care delivery innovations, behavioral health nondrug interventions or other similar innovations that may be near a tipping point for diffusion into the healthcare system. An "unmet need" is defined as any need arising from a gap in effective ways to screen, diagnose, treat, monitor, manage, or provide or deliver care for a health condition or disease. Horizon Scanning Status Updates Every two and a half (2 1/2) months, the contractor shall submit a Horizon Scanning Status Update. The Status Update shall be comprised of a list of summary data on innovations including name of the innovation, potential patient population, a description of the innovation, the developer, the stage of development, potential comparators and potential health or other impacts. Potential High Impact Reports Every six (6) months, the contractor shall submit a Potential High Impact Report. The potential high impact report shall identify and describe the interventions designated to have potential for high impact for each AHRQ priority condition based on the predefined metrics in the protocol, including but not limited to impact on individual patient health outcomes, impact on cost of care, impact on health delivery systems, impact on reducing health disparities, and impact on public health. These reports shall also include a description of the high impact technologies based on the data elements and information collected using the protocol. The Potential High Impact Reports shall provide a detailed discussion of the methods used to analyze the contextual factors affecting each target intervention, and the Contractor shall discuss the results from applying the analytic and forecasting methodology in the protocol that led to the conclusions about the specific interventions included in the report. Anticipated period of performance July 1, 2016 - June 30, 2017 Other important considerations Offerors will be required to submit a comprehensive proposed protocol within their proposals. Descriptions of the system shall include, at a minimum, the following activities and answer the following questions as it relates to these activities: • Daily broad scanning and selection of topic "leads" by searchers o How will scanning be conducted on a daily basis? o What are the planned sources of topic "leads"? o What are the criteria for selection as a candidate for tracking? • Determination of whether topic "leads" meet entry criteria including "newness" and filling an "unmet need" and entry of topic "leads" into the system o What are the criteria for selection of "leads" for tracking? o What is the process for nominating and selecting topics to be included in the system? • More in depth searching and profile development for topics chosen to be included in the system o How will in-depth searches be conducted? o How will profiles be generated, stored and retrieved within the system? o What information will be included in the profiles? • Expert rating for determination of potential impact of topics o How will experts rate the potential impact of topics? o What are the minimum and optimal qualifications of the experts who will rate the topics? o What are the criteria for rating topics as having the potential for high-impact? • Topic monitoring, updating and reassessment of potential impact o How will the system provide monitoring, update and reassessment for topics? The proposed protocol must be capable of producing outputs comparable to the existing AHRQ Healthcare Horizon Scanning System, including identification of innovations for tracking before FDA approval or CMS coverage >98% of the time. The most recent outputs of the horizon scanning system are available on the AHRQ website: Most recent status report and archive of older reports: http://www.effectivehealthcare.ahrq.gov/search-for-guides-reviews-and-reports/?pageaction=displayproduct&mp=1&productID=880 Most recent potential high impact reports and archive of older reports: http://www.effectivehealthcare.ahrq.gov/search-for-guides-reviews-and-reports/?pageaction=displayproduct&productID=1063 Capability statement /information sought Respondents must provide, as part of their responses, a tailored capability statement that includes/addresses the following:   Cover Page Must include the following: • DUNS number • organization name • organization address • size and type of business (e.g., 8(a), HUBZone, etc) pursuant to NAICS code 541990 • technical point(s) of contact, including names, titles, addresses, telephone and fax numbers, and e-mail addresses • administrative point(s) of contact, including names, titles, addresses, telephone and fax numbers, and e-mail addresses Tailored Response The tailored response to this Small Business Sources Sought notice should include the following sections and describe the requested information below. Respondents must provide, as part of their responses, information concerning: 1. an understanding of the requirements and intent of the project including an understanding of the purposes of healthcare horizon scanning and efficient methods, processes, and challenges; 2. capacity to implement horizon scanning with similar scope and comprehensiveness of the existing system; 3. staff experience in horizon scanning including their availability and training; understanding of emerging healthcare interventions and context of new innovation in healthcare environments; 4. current in-house capability and capacity to perform the work; 5. prior completed projects of similar nature within the last seven years (examples of prior completed Government contracts, references, and other related information); and 6. corporate experience and management capability. Responses must be provided via e-mail to the Contract Specialist identified in this notice and shall be submitted no later than the due date and time specified in the notice. Responses should not exceed 15 single-sided pages (including the cover page, all attachments, resumes, charts, etc.) presented in single-space and using a 12-point font size minimum, that clearly details the ability to perform the aspects of the notice described above. This notice does not obligate the Government to award a contract or otherwise pay for the information provided in response. The Government reserves the right to use information provided by respondents for any purpose deemed necessary and legally appropriate. Any organization responding to this notice should ensure that its response is complete and sufficiently detailed to allow the Government to determine the organization's qualifications to perform the work. Respondents are advised that the Government is under no obligation to acknowledge receipt of the information received or provide feedback to respondents with respect to any information submitted. After a review of the responses received, a pre-solicitation synopsis and solicitation may be published in Federal Business Opportunities. However, responses to this notice will not be considered adequate responses to a solicitation. Confidentiality. No proprietary, classified, confidential, or sensitive information should be included in your response. The Government reserves the right to use any non-proprietary technical information in any resultant solicitation(s).
- Web Link
-
FBO.gov Permalink
(https://www.fbo.gov/spg/HHS/AHRQ/DCM/HHS-AHRQ-SBSS-16-10003/listing.html)
- Record
- SN03960074-W 20151205/151203234512-c5eb721200be3132307cf40ca4b77e72 (fbodaily.com)
- Source
-
FedBizOpps Link to This Notice
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