Attachment 2 - Vendor Technical Questions and Answers.pdf

Attachment 2 - Vendor Technical Questions and Answers

EMS Data Access

Updated: 8/7/2020

Q1. Can you specify the dataset / data fields that you are requiring for this project?

A1. Access to and ability to query near real-time and historical data at the county and state level are needed to identify cases meeting various clinical syndromes defined by CDC to produce near real-time count data by day for counties and states. Clinical syndrome definition building by CDC should allow for text analysis of narrative data as well as searching for medical diagnosis/billing codes. Data should be able to be queried from a web interface and downloaded as csv or MS Excel files. No limits on the number of queries or downloads should exist as data may need to be queried daily or weekly. The proposal should state availability of variables by which data can be stratified including age, gender, race, and other available fields.

Q2. What date ranges are you seeking data for? ImageTrend has been collecting EMS data since

2002. How far back are you seeking data? In addition, if this is an ongoing data set, would you like access to the dataset in real time and at what frequency would you require dataset updates?

A2. We understand that the time period of historical data is likely to differ by state, please indicate historical data availability by state. Ongoing real-time access to state/county data is necessary; data that is updated in near real-time (please specify approximate time lag by state from when clinical encounter occurs to when data is available to CDC, i.e., 1 hour, 1 day, 1 week, etc) should be available to CDC analysts to query and download in a web-based application at any time (application should function completely in a browser; due to CDC security, software cannot be downloaded to CDC machines).

Q3. In terms of geographical identifiable data, would you require the data be identifiable by state, county, zip code, census tract, specific geo-address locations, or some other variation?

A3. Data should be identifiable by state and county, at minimum. Note if smaller levels of geography are available.

Q4. When you refer to “data,” are you requiring the ability to download the transactional/row level data for the entire dataset, or do you want to view the aggregated/rolled up data calculations using a visualization platform?

A4. Access to individual patient-level record data would only be needed to develop the clinical syndrome and case definitions that would comprise various queries. Syndrome/case definitions will need to allow for querying the narrative text of the record for various words and phrases as well as medical diagnosis/billing codes. For each case definition that is built, CDC analysts would query the near real-time data which would need to return aggregated counts by day by county and state. This information can be stratified by other variables such as age, gender, race, etc.

Q5. What format would you like to receive / download the data in (i.e. secure FTP export of CSV or SQL DB; remote SQL access; PowerBi; NEMSIS v3 XML; etc.)?

A5. Data can be downloaded as CSV. As data access is needed in real-time and for queries that may change based on public health conditions, data download should be on-demand from a web-based application that allows for specifying various queries, rather than scheduled, static, or infrequent downloads. No limits on the number of queries or downloads should exist as data may need to be queried daily or weekly.

Q6. For the CLIN Item 0001 – Should the Base Period of Performance for CLIN Item 0001 in

Attachment 1 be consistent with the Base Period of Performance indicated in the RFQ: 9/1/2020 –

8/31/2021, rather than the currently stated CLIN 0001 Period of Performance of 9/1/2021 – 8/31/2022?

A6. CLIN 0001 in Attachment 1 has been updated to reflect a POP of: 9/1/2020 - 8/31/2021.

Q7. Please clarify the required submission method for the response. The RFQ mentioned both email and eBuy.

A7. RFQ updated to read: “Quote Submission Instructions: Official quote shall be submitted electronically via email to QAQ5@cdc.gov by the scheduled date and time.”

Q8. The RFQ is missing the formal specification of the SOW or data requirements. There is a reference to a “Product Description”.

A8. RFQ Solicitation Technical factor 3(b)(1) Data Requirement has been updated to read:

“CDC seeks to purchase access to near real-time EMS syndromic surveillance trend data to utilize in conjunction with epidemiologic trends from CDC’s current Emergency Department (ED) based syndromic surveillance system. The syndromic surveillance that CDC conducts involves assessing real-time electronic health records using both medical/billing codes and natural language processing/text analysis of records. The desired EMS data product should allow for identification of health syndromes using both medical/billing codes and natural language processing/text analysis of records. Near real-time data should be able to be queried in a web-browser and data on syndrome trends downloadable as count data by county by day. There should be no limit to data downloads and data downloaded should be in a commonly used general file format such as CSV or Microsoft Excel.

Q9. Please clarify the required references and resumes as referenced. The RFQ is silent in this regard and it is unclear as to what is required.

A9. This is standard verbiage, included in the RFQ. It states, “The cover page, table of contents, resumes, appendices and references DO NOT count against the page count for the technical quote.” If the requirement does not ask for these items, then don’t include them.

Q10. Please confirm that all data access and technical requirements must be met and exist within an operational, web-based capability on Day 1 of the Base Period of Performance.

A10. The intent of the procurement is to purchase access to syndromic surveillance data that can be accessed through a web browser on Day 1 and not to fund software development.

Q11. What assurances will the CDC require to ensure that the vendor has the appropriate data rights to share analytic results derived from EMS record with the CDC?

A11. Written statement by the offeror that syndromic surveillance trend data can be shared with

Federal Government agencies will be requested.

Q12. Does CDC require the ability to perform advanced web-based search from a single unified interface, analysis and visualization of aggregate trends, and reporting from near real-time EMS data rather than simply the ability to query against and receive raw ePCR data elements, which can be noisy, incomplete, and inconsistent?

A12. The procurement seeks to purchase access to near real-time syndromic surveillance trend data rather than access to raw unprocessed clinical records. See response to Q14 for additional details.

Q13. Are there page count limits? Page 3 of the RFQ references page count limits "as stipulated in the RFQ", but specific limits are not further referenced.

A13. Page limit of no more than 25 pages.

Q14. It is not clear if the Services description constitutes the full “product description” referenced in the RFQ. Can you provide a full service description?

A14. CDC seeks to purchase access to near real-time EMS syndromic surveillance trend data to utilize in conjunction with epidemiologic trends from CDC’s current Emergency Department (ED) based syndromic surveillance system. The syndromic surveillance that CDC conducts involves assessing real-time electronic health records using both medical/billing codes and natural language processing/text analysis of records. The desired EMS data product should allow for identification of health syndromes using both medical/billing codes and natural language processing/text analysis of records. Near real-time data should be able to be queried in a web-browser and data on syndrome trends downloadable as count data by county by day. There should be no limit to data downloads and data downloaded should be in a commonly used general file format such as CSV or Microsoft Excel.

Q15. Quote requests a license for “Automotive – Standard” (5 users). Will you please provide a definition for “Automotive - Standard”?

A15. The use of that word “Automotive” represents the capability to provide information specifically related to motor vehicle crash data trends as part of the product.

Q15. Request removal of “Automotive-Standard” as a priced item. It is not part of the state’s EMS or NEMSIS related data sets.

A15. Please note that CDC is not primarily seeking to purchase raw variables or data elements from

EMS/NEMSIS record systems. The epidemiologic trend monitoring that CDC performs is based on assessing trends in health syndromes, which are identified and defined through analysis of both medical/billing codes and natural language processing/text analysis of records.