Sources Sought Notice - Final.docx

SSN 250277

Sources Sought Notice (SSN)- National Implementation of Surgical Outpatient/Ambulatory Surgery Patient Experience of Care Survey

THIS IS NOT A FORMAL REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL (RFP) AND DOES NOT COMMIT THE CENTERS FOR MEDICARE & MEDICAID SERVICES (CMS) TO AWARD A CONTRACT NOW OR IN THE FUTURE

This is a SOURCES SOUGHT NOTICE to determine the availability of small businesses on the GSA Multiple Award Schedule (MAS) SIN 541611 (Administrative Management and General Management Consulting Services), (e.g., 8(a), service-disabled veteran owned small business, HUBZone small business, small disadvantaged business, veteran-owned small business, and women-owned small business) that have the capability to support the Centers for Medicare & Medicare Services (CMS) in carrying out the workload associated with the national implementation of the Outpatient and Ambulatory Surgery Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (CAHPS®) Survey, hereafter referred to as the “OAS CAHPS Survey.”

A. General Background

In 2022, the Centers for Medicare & Medicare Services launched the CMS National Quality Strategy, an ambitious long-term initiative that aims to promote the highest quality outcomes and safest care for all individuals. The CMS National Quality Strategy builds on previous efforts to improve quality across the health care system, incorporates lessons learned from the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency, and addresses the urgent need for transformative action to advance towards a more equitable, safe, and outcomes-based health care system for all individuals. This strategy established four priority areas, each with two goals: equity and engagement with the goals of advancing the health-equity and whole-person care and engaging individuals and communities to become partners in their care; outcomes and alignment aimed at improving quality and health outcomes across the care journey and aligning and coordinating across programs and care settings; safety and resiliency with the goals of achieving zero preventable harm and enabling a responsive and resilient health care system to improve quality; and interoperability and scientific advancement aimed at accelerating and supporting the transition to a digital and data-driven health care system and transforming health care using science.

One of the ways CMS is working towards expanding the use of person-reported outcomes and experience measures as noted in the National Quality Strategy is by engaging patients in reporting how they experienced care via the Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (CAHPS®) family of surveys. The Outpatient and Ambulatory Surgery (OAS) CAHPS Survey seeks to provide information about patients’ perceptions of the care they receive from Medicare-certified hospital outpatient departments (HOPDs) and ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs).

The OAS CAHPS survey development began in 2012. The survey development process followed the principles and guidelines outlined by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) and its CAHPS Consortium in developing a patient experience of care survey. Development included reviewing surveys submitted as a result of a public call for measures; reviewing existing literature; conducting focus groups with patients who had recent outpatient surgery; conducting cognitive interviews with patients to test their understanding and ability to answer the questions; obtaining stakeholder input on the draft survey and other issues that may impact implementation; and conducting a field test. After the survey instrument was finalized, a mode experiment was conducted in 2015.

The survey has been nationally implemented since 2019. In 2022, CMS added two new web-based modes of survey administration (web with mail follow-up, and web with telephone follow-up) to the mail only, telephone only, and mail with telephone follow-up of non-respondents survey modes. ASCs can continue to voluntarily submit OAS CAHPS data until 2025. The survey is required and linked to reimbursement in 2024 for HOPDs and 2025 for ASCs. CMS seeks to continue the national implementation of the OAS CAHPS Survey.

B. Required Knowledge and Experience

At a minimum, the following knowledge and experience are required:

1. Basic knowledge of CAHPS surveys;

2. In-depth knowledge of both hospital outpatient departments (HOPDs) and ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) protocols;

3. Thorough understanding of HIPAA requirements and PHI rules and regulations;

4. Demonstrated knowledge and understanding of the overall process for national implementation of surveys;

5. Demonstrated understanding and knowledge of various survey administration procedures;

6. Demonstrated understanding and experience with the design and implementation of complex sampling design;

7. Demonstrated understanding and knowledge of case-mix adjustment;

8. Ability to make recommendations for survey administration protocol guided by current research in the discipline and findings from the field test and survey mode experiments for the OAS CAHPS survey;

9. Demonstrated understanding of third-party survey vendor models including but not limited to design of minimum business requirements, online vendor application processes, training, and oversight;

10. Demonstrated ability in developing an infrastructure to provide technical assistance for survey vendors on an ongoing basis including the creation and maintenance of an official government website for the survey information;

11. Demonstrated ability in developing, creating, maintaining an online registration form for survey vendors on the website developed for the survey;

12. Ability to store, retrieve, transmit, and analyze data files associated with the survey;

13. Ability to write a manual for vendors and facilities that includes Technical Specifications and Data Submission procedures;

14. Ability to establish an accessible and fair exceptions process where CMS-approved survey vendors wishing to employ a variation from the standardized protocols may request an exception;

15. Ability to establish and maintain a toll-free telephone number for technical assistance, as well as an email address;

16. Prior experience in responding quickly to ad hoc requests that require immediate attention, in many instances less than 48 hours turnaround;

17. Prior experience working collaboratively with other large organizations such as CMS and other governmental agencies as well national organizations; and

18. Prior experience in effective project management that includes a proven track record of keeping to a schedule and managing multiple tasks.

C. Capability Statement Requirements

In response to this Notice, CMS is seeking capability statements. Capability statements are NOT proposals and do not address price/cost. Industry is merely asked to provide information, which may demonstrate that they have expertise and capacity to meet the requirements of this work as a prime contractor, with subcontractors, as they deem necessary.

No marketing literature should be submitted in response to this Sources Sought Notice. When responding to this notice, vendors must demonstrate their experience in meeting and performing capabilities listed below. A mere statement that the vendor has a required capability is not sufficient.

CMS requests that the respondent specifically address the requirements listed below. Respondents should provide enough information for CMS to make an informed determination of their capability to perform the work identified below. Please remember that the potential offeror or prime contractor must be able to perform at least 50% of the labor associated with this effort. Please provide a list of contract numbers that your organization has had (if applicable) and your role on the contract (prime contractor or subcontractor). If you were a subcontractor on a particular contract, please clarify the work that you did on that contract.

Please describe your capabilities and detailed experience performing similar activities as those described below. Your responses should demonstrate your understanding of the requirements to:

1. Have knowledge and understanding of the hospital outpatient departments (HOPDs) and ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) settings;

2. Develop and oversee project management and planning;

3. Develop national implementation protocols for large-scale survey efforts;

4. Develop a complex sample design;

5. Apply case-mix adjustment and perform data analysis;

6. Design survey administration procedures including mode selection using current research in the discipline and research specific to OAS CAHPS;

7. Design and prepare minimum business requirements, online application processes, training, and oversight of survey vendors;

8. Develop an infrastructure to provide ongoing technical assistance for survey vendors;

9. Create and Maintain OAS CAHPS or similar Website; and

10. Conduct Ad Hoc CMS Policy/Program Analyses.

D. Instructions for Submitting Responses to CMS

The following specific information is requested: (a) company descriptive literature; (b) specific related corporate experience; (c) experience with the type of capability expectations mentioned above; (d) references, to include points of contact, email addresses, and phone numbers; and (e) Business information outlined below.

a. Sources Sought Notice number, title, and date of issuance

b. SAM UEI

c. Company Name

d. Company Address

e. Company Point of Contact, Phone, and Email address

f. Validation of small business status under NAICS Code 541611 - Administrative Management and General Management Consulting Services (size standard of $24.5 million)

g. Current GSA Schedules appropriate to this Sources Sought Notice

Please limit your documentation to the following Page Size, Font Type and Size, Spacing and Page Numbering. Responses shall be submitted using a Microsoft Word document with page size 8.5 by 11 inches. Font type shall be Times New Roman, size 10-12 using standard tabs and indent software features with no less than single spacing between lines. Responses are limited to one (1) page answers for each of the individual requirements (10 requirements total) stated in Section C with a total of no more than twelve (12) pages for the entire capability statement. The Cover Page is not included in the total page count.

All transmitted information marked proprietary shall be treated as such. Therefore, businesses should identify any proprietary information in their responses. Proprietary materials will neither be distributed, nor discussed with, any other organization. Information submitted in response to this will be used at the discretion of the Government. Further, the information submitted will remain confidential insofar as permitted by law, including the Freedom of Information and Privacy Acts.

Respondents should be aware that this Sources Sought Notice is for market research purposes only and any responses thereto, or lack thereof, will not constitute a commitment by CMS to treat any potential offeror more or less favorably in the anticipated forthcoming solicitation and/or ultimate award. Please be advised that CMS will not respond directly to organizations submitting information in response to this Sources Sought Notice.

All capability statements can be submitted via e-mail to Megan.Famodu@cms.hhs.gov and Amberly.Kovalick@cms.hhs.gov. Responses must be submitted no later than 11:00 AM, Tuesday, July 16, 2024.

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).

Disclaimer and Important Notes This notice does not obligate the Government to award a contract or otherwise pay for the information provided in response. 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.

Teaming Arrangements Contractors responding to this Notice as a team or that rely on subcontractors to perform any portion of the work must include the above-requested information and certifications for each entity on the proposed team or each proposed subcontractor. Responses must clearly indicate the nature of the teaming arrangement.

The contractor and any subcontractors must not have any relationships or arrangements through business operations or its employees that could be considered as lessening the company’s objectivity concerning any aspect of the proposed tasks. If such relationships or arrangements exist, contractors or subcontractors shall be required, during the procurement process, to identify potential conflicts of interest and discuss how the conflicts will be addressed and mitigated.