P01 - SOW VisualDX-Dermatology Diagnostic Product FY21.doc

STATEMENT OF WORK

POINT OF CARE DERMATOLOGY DIAGNOSTIC CLINICAL DECISION SUPPORT PRODUCT (VisualDX) A.

General Information

1.0

Introduction:

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Veterans Health Administration (VHA) requires an existing commercial off the shelf web based, Visual DX Point of Care Dermatology Diagnostic Clinical Decision Support Product that will be made available throughout the VHA healthcare system.

For the purpose of this solicitation, these products may also be referred to as bedside information tools because they have been designed to provide information at the patient’s bedside or point of care. They tend to provide information that will directly affect patient care. What distinguishes these products from sources such as electronic textbooks or bibliographic citations databases is that it includes a mechanism to support and provide clinical dermatology decision support knowledge at the point-of-care.

Performance Period: One year award with four (4) option years 1.1 Objectives The desired goals of the nationwide provision of a commercial Point of Care Dermatology Diagnostic Decision Support Products Visual DX subscription are as follows:

1.1.1 Providing access nationwide to standard knowledge based clinical information resources available at the point of care, will build on the enterprise wide availability of the web-based resources currently subscribed to by the Library Network Office.

1.1.2 Initiating a nationwide, centralized purchase to capitalize on the economies of scale offered by vendors.

1.1.3 Negotiating one license/contract to decrease the current contracting and reviewing efforts that are required at the facility and/or VISN level and thereby avoid the costs and workload associated with multiple procurements.

1.1.4 Making this Point of Care Dermatology Diagnostic Decision Support Product available through CPRS (Computerized Patient Record System), the VA’s Electronic Health Record, nationwide to insure consistent access at the bedside for all VHA health professionals and staff.

2.0 Scope of Work:

2.0.1 The vendor will provide all sites on the VHA network with access to a single online, web-based product. Authentication will be through IP address validation on an enterprise basis, eliminating the need for users to enter identification, username and/or password.

2.0.2 An unrestricted number of simultaneous users are to have immediate access from any web-enabled computer within VHA. It is required that all authorized remote users with VPN access have access to the product.

2.0.3 This license must cover all Department of Veterans Affairs employees as authorized users no matter their physical work location or point of access to this product.

2.0.4 This license will also allow for authorized user access at all Department of Veterans Affairs current and future physical facilities included but not limited to current and future medical centers, community-based outpatient clinics, DOMs, vet centers and all other locations where Department of Veterans Affairs employees work.

2.0.5 Currently the VHA libraries are providing remote access through Athens authentication service. This resource must have technical capability to include Athens authentication for remote users in this contract.

2.1 Information Scope

The product should include:

2.1.1 Images and knowledge-based information to assist the primary care provider in the identification, diagnosis and management of common skin disorders.

2.1.2 A diagnostic decision support system to assist primary care providers in differential diagnosis of dermatologic diseases and conditions.

2.1.3 Vivid displays of dermatology images showing the variation of disease presentation through age, stage, and skin type.

2.1.4 A decision support system to allow the clinicians to enter patient findings in order to dynamically build a differential diagnosis displayed by medical images.

2.2 Information Quality

2.2.1 Information is accurate, authoritative, and relevant.

2.2.2 Authors and sources are well recognized subject experts in their fields.

2.2.3 Topics are presented succinctly, but with adequate detail to be useful to clinicians.

2.2.4 “Best practice” or evidence-based information is included in recommendations for diagnosis or therapy.

2.2.5 Policies for determining validity and standards for inclusion of material are well described.

2.2.6 Guidelines and summaries include references or sources.

2.2.7 When necessary to the topic, images, tables and diagrams are available and clearly shown.

2.3 Usability 2.3.1 Navigation within the system is logical and is easy to use. There is fast access to topics and subtopics. Topic linking or indexing retrieves material of high relevance quickly.

2.3.2 The product has “user friendly” help and direction aids.

2.4 Currency

2.4.1 Content areas are updated on a continuous, incremental cycle rather than on a single anniversary date for the entire product.

2.4.2 The date a topic was last reviewed for content is stated and easily found.

2.5 Access, content, support 2.5.1 Product is 508 compliant. (http://www.section508.gov/)

2.5.1.1 If product is not 508 compliant, vendor must describe measures being taken to bring product into compliance and date, within 12 months of contract award, that product will be 508 compliant. OR

2.5.1.2. If product is not 508 compliant and vendor must describe why no work is being done to make it 508 compliant.

2.5.2 Access to be granted through IP address validation on an enterprise basis, eliminating the need for users to enter identification, username and/or password.

2.5.3 An unrestricted number of simultaneous users are to have immediate access from any web-enabled computer throughout VHA. It is required that all authorized remote users (with VPN, dial-up, wireless, etc. access) have access to the product through any VA networked computer and/or CPRS. A username and/or password option must be offered for remote users if needed.

2.5.4 The product is compatible with most standard web browsers, which have cookies enabled. To insure privacy, the product uses session cookies rather than persistent cookies.

2.5.5 The product is compatible with the Windows environment.

2.5.6 All site content and support of the web site is the responsibility of the contractor. This includes tech support to VHA users nationwide.

2.5.7 System downtime is minimal and VA project manager is notified when such occurs.

2.5.8 Topics are easily printed.

2.5.9 The product’s licensing agreement must permit free use for educational purposes of all pictures and graphics.

2.5.10 Single point of contact for customer service issues is assigned to VA 2.5.11 Questions are responded to on the same business day.

2.5.12 Usage statistics are available to the system administrator on an enterprise level.

2.5.13 The product should be accessible via a variety of Personal Digital Assistant (PDA) platforms including the Blackberry.

2.5.14 Graphics, pictures, and/or images that are searchable are highly desirable.

2.5.15 The contractor should offer training services. On an as requested basis, training session (web-based or live) will be set up to train VHA staff on use of the product. Specialized training sessions may be requested for VA library staff.

2.5.16 Availability of usage statistics at an IP level is highly desirable.

2.5.17 Topics can be emailed among VHA colleagues.

7.0 Required Subscription Requirements and Salient Characteristics:

a. Images and knowledge-based information to assist the primary care provider in the identification, diagnosis and management of common skin disorders.

b. Vivid displays of dermatology images showing the variation of disease presentation through various ethnic groups and skin types in relation to age and stage.

c. A decision support system to allow the clinicians to enter patient findings in order to dynamically build a differential diagnosis displayed by medical images.

d. A substantial, considerable and exhaustive number of images from sources with a long standing, authoritative history of producing the photographic visual representations of required subjects in clinical medicine.

e. A diagnostic clinical decision support system to enhance diagnostic accuracy, aid therapeutic decisions, and improve patient safety. Includes searching by diagnosis, building a patient-specific differential, and reviewing travel or medication-related events at the point of care, including but not limited to the areas of diagnosing skin conditions, general and emergency medicine conditions, and medication reactions.

f. Provides access to the full spectrum of human diseases across skin types, body location, morphologic variation, and other diagnostic features. To adequately capture the immense variation inherent in disease requires access to hundreds of specialized image collections that span dermatology, ophthalmology, oral medicine, infectious disease, emergency medicine, radiology, and pathology.

g. An established and efficient means for uploading and centralizing images developed by medical experts from around the world; cases that include tropical and rare diseases, as well as common conditions represented within various ethnic groups and skin types.

h. Continuing Medical Education (CME) included: Users shall be able to track CME activity after establishing an account as provided by the contractor. All username/password and account maintenance shall be the responsibility of the contractor. CME credits shall include: AMA PRA Category 1. Credits would primarily be appropriate for physicians in the Family Medicine, Internal Medicine, Emergency Medicine, Hospital Medicine, Dermatology, and other medical specialties.