RFI-Digitization--QA-ao-200727.pdf

REQUEST FOR INFORMATION

DIGITIZATION AND DESTRUCTION OF MEDICAL RECORDS

Questions and answers as of 27 July 2020:

Q1. Will Digitization services be required on site or can the records be shipped to a central, contractor location?

A1. Central contractor location

Q2. If these services can be accomplished at a central, contractor location will all MTF’s records be shipped simultaneously or will shipments be staggered?

A2. Shipments will be staggered

Q3. Will there be a need for sustained access to these records while in possession of the contractor? Will the contractor need the ability to retrieve/digitize specific records on an as needed basis?

A3. Sustained access will be limited; however, contractor will need the ability to retrieve / digitize specific records on an as needed basis.

Q4. What is the physical condition of the documents? Are they conducive to auto-feed scanning or camera-based digitization (photography)?

A4. Majority of the documents are conducive to auto-feed scanning; however, it is possible for a very small percentage of records to contain documents requiring camera-based digitization.

Q5. Are the files currently organized? Will there be a need for indexing or meta-data tagging post digitization?

A5. Files will need to be indexed.

Q6. Approximately how many images are included in a standard record (on average)?

A6. There are approximately 123 pages per a recent sample taken at a large MTF.

Q7. Is there a minimum dpi expected per image? Is the intent for each image to be B/W, grayscale, or full color? Do records need to be OCR compatible? Will the contractor be expected to perform OCR scanning on each file? Is there a desired file format(s) for DHA to receive from the contractor for ingest into the digital repository?

A7 3.2 Acceptable Image Quality Specifications per NARA

Scanned images of textual records transferred to NARA must meet the following minimum requirements for scanning resolution and pixel (bit) depth to support archival preservation and continued use.

3.2.1 Bitonal (1-bit) scanned at 300-600 ppi 3.

This is appropriate for documents that consist exclusively of clean printed type possessing high inherent contrast (e.g., laser printed or typeset on a white background). Scanning at 600 ppi is recommended.

3.2.2 Gray scale (8-bit) scanned at 300-400 ppi.

This is appropriate for textual documents of poor legibility because of low inherent contrast, staining or fading (e.g., carbon copies, thermofax, or documents with handwritten annotations or other markings), or that contain halftone illustrations or photographs. Scanning at 400 ppi is recommended.

3.2.3 Color (24-bit RGB [Red, Green, Blue]) scanned at 300-400 ppi.

Color mode (if technically available) is appropriate for text containing color information important to interpretation or content. Scanning at 400 ppi is recommended.

OCR is not a requirement of this RFI.

Desired file format is pdf.