Inactive

THIS IS A SOURCES SOUGHT NOTICE ONLY. This is not a solicitation for bids, proposals, proposal abstracts, or quotations. The purpose of this Sources Sought Notice is to obtain information regarding th... THIS IS A SOURCES SOUGHT NOTICE ONLY. This is not a solicitation for bids, proposals, proposal abstracts, or quotations. The purpose of this Sources Sought Notice is to obtain information regarding the availability and capability of all qualified sources to perform a potential requirement. The responses received from interested contractors will assist the Government in determining the appropriate acquisition method. The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), Network Contracting Office (NCO) 20, is conducting market research to identify potential sources which can provide the following in support of the VA Puget Sound Health Care System (VAPSHCS): VAPSHCS has a need for research consultative service with access to the Healthcare Access and Quality (HAQ) Index created by the University of Washington, Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME), or an existing index that provides equal or better data, that leverages estimates produced by the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) study examining cause-specific mortality and incidence as well as the contribution of risk factors to causes of disease burden. Scope. The goal of this project is to leverage an existing healthcare access and quality index data to support the construction of a version of the HAQ Index adapted to the VA data and population. Prospective vendor will provide conceptual and technical support for the adaptation of the HAQ indices for the Veterans population, using the data provided by collaborators and relevant existing estimates from the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) study. Vendor will provide guidance and analysis in order to replicate and adapt the GBD HAQ index for population using the Veterans Healthcare Administration data. Vendor will provide guidance for the following areas: (1) Co-formulation of a methodological approach for adapting the HAQ Index estimation to Veterans Affairs datasets and population; and (2) Provision of custom GBD estimates relevant to adaptation of the HAQ index to the VA population, as needed, and to compare the VA-adapted HAQ Index measure to the US population. Tasks and Deliverables. Task 1. Develop a methodological approach for adapting the HAQ index for the VA population using summary information available from the VHA data sources. Formulate a cogent and comprehensive approach for applying and adapting the HAQ index to the VA population and data. Provide information and advice on how best to map VA data to a novel index formulated specifically for the VA. Support the VA project team to estimate the HAQ Index for VHA overall and 18 Veterans Integrated Service Networks (VISNs). Work with VA project team to review existing data available for the VA population for estimating indicators used in the HAQ index (incidence, mortality, and population-attributable fraction of risk factors). Vendor will describe and provide support for adapting the existing methodologies used in the GBD for estimating the quantities of interest. This includes code calculating incidence from electronic health records or insurance claims data; maps of ICD garbage codes to causes in the GBD; and calculation of PAFs of risk-outcome pairs based on prevalence of risk factors in the VA population, where possible. Share other methodologies and code as the conceptual basis of HAQ for the VA population is interrogated and the data available is better understood. Facilitate conversations with key GBD research teams as needed which may include discussions about the estimation of incidence and mortality for the 27 conditions that make up the HAQ Index, as well as the risk factor estimation that informs PAFs. Task 2. Refine and supplement the preliminary HAQ index adapted to VHA with additional geographic and population estimates to facilitate standardized comparison to other US populations. Vendor will provide estimates from the GBD study to complement estimates produced by VA collaborators as inputs to the HAQ Index that include inputs appropriate to US geographic locations to the HAQ Index that are not readily available from VA data or pertain to the population overall. Using existing GBD estimates, construct additionally adjusted versions of the HAQ for VHA that maps to the construct produced for the VA population. Deliverable Delivery Date Written methodological framework for adapting the HAQ Index for Veterans, including detailed supporting documentation As needed and available HAQ Index input information needed by VISN/VA overall. Objective is to guide the COIN to produce summary information from VA data in the form of excel/csv tables that can be easily read into GBD statistical software As needed and available Produce proof of concept for HAQ for VA data (step 1). Generate preliminary estimates comparing VHA to US population for a single HAQ condition (ICD10 only), single VISN, and single year. Goal is to identify workflow and refine processes for exchanging summary information. VHA provides single condition summary data ~ year 1: month 1; IHME reports estimates ~ year 1: month 2 Produce proof of concept for HAQ for VA data (step 2). Based on any refinements from Step 1, generate preliminary estimates comparing VHA to US population for all 27 HAQ conditions, VHA overall w/ ICD-9 and SNOMED, single year. VHA provides 27 conditions summary data ~ year 1: month 3; IHME reports estimates (without risk adjustments) ~ year 1: month 5 Produce proof of concept for HAQ for VA data (step 3). Based on any refinements from Step 2, generate preliminary estimates comparing VHA to US population incorporating risk factor information. VHA provides summary data with risk factor information ~ Year 1: month 6; IHME reports estimates ~ year 1: month 8 Produce proof of concept for HAQ for VA data (step 4). Based on any refinements from Step 3, generate preliminary estimates comparing VHA to US population and comparing 18 VHA VISNs across multiple years (2017-2023). Include additional adjustment factors in addition to VHA risk information from literature and/or aggregated GBD risk factor information by US States. VHA provides summary data with risk factor information ~ year 1: month 9; IHME reports estimates ~ year 1: month 10 Produce report of HAQ final custom estimates for VHA population across 18 VISNs 2017-2023. Year 1: month 11-12 Assess quality and feasibility of the HAQ adaptations for Veteran Population compared to US overall population; identify limitations of method adaptations and potential additional adjustment factors. As needed Participate in internal report preparation (and manuscript if appropriate) of adapted HAQ Index for VHA population Apr 2025 Work with VA analysts to develop code to routinely pull VA data in standardized formats for continued generation of the HAQ index. Advise on feasibility and efficiency of updates being generated by sending standardized datasets to IHME or developing code to calculate HAQ directly on VA servers within the VA firewall. Year 2: months 1-6 Customize HAQ program code that can be located on VA servers to calculate the HAQ index within the VA firewall. Year 2: months 2-3 Work with the VA project team to develop a production-level dashboard for the HAQ index for VA data to potentially include index measures, VISN network comparisons, time trend analysis, and relevant metrics for stakeholders. Year 2: months 4-12 Provide documentation and training on how to execute the code for data collection, index calculation, and dashboard updates. Year 2: months 4-12 Create resources, guidelines, and troubleshooting documentation for ongoing support. Address common issues, FAQs, and best practices. Year 2: months 8-12 and year 3: months 1-3 Be prepared to troubleshoot any issues related to the index implementation. Collaborate with stakeholders to resolve technical or data-related challenges. Year 3: as needed and available Update the HAQ index for VA data based on new data, research, and changes in health care practice. Ensure the index remains relevant and accurate over time. Years 2-3: as needed and available Potential candidates having the capabilities necessary to provide the above stated supplies at a fair and reasonable price are invited to respond to this Sources Sought Notice via e-mail to Jennifer Robles at jennifer.robles1@va.gov no later than June 10, 2023, 5PM PST. No telephone inquiries will be accepted. RESPONSES SHOULD INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION: Company name, address, SAM UEI and business size; point of contact name, phone number, and e-mail address; whether services are presently offered on a current GSA Federal Supply Schedule contract. Prospective vendors shall provide a letter from the University of Washington on dated, signed, university letterhead stating that they have access to data or provide information on their preexisting equal or better healthcare access and quality index that includes existing estimates from the Global Burden of Disease study. NAICS Code 541715 Size Standard: 1,000 employees is applicable to determine business size standard. Any questions or concerns may also be directed via email to Jennifer Robles at jennifer.robles1@va.gov. Disclaimer and Important Notes: This Sources Sought 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. The Government will treat any information received as proprietary and will not share such information with other companies. Any organization responding to this Sources Sought 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. The Government may or may not issue a solicitation as a result of this announcement. There is no solicitation available at this time.