SOW.pdf

Department of Veterans Affairs

Statement of Work (SOW) for

ECRI Capital, Alerts, and Biomedical Guide Annual Subscription

A. GENERAL GUIDANCE

1. Title of Project: VHA Office of Healthcare Technology Management (19HTM) Emergency Care Research institute (ECRI) Capital Guide and Biomedical Services Annual Subscription

2. Scope of Work: The purpose of this requirement is to obtain ECRI Institute Capital Guide and Biomedical Guide comprehensive medical equipment technology assessment, implementation, and sustainment advisory services.

3. Background: ECRI Institute is an independent, nonprofit organization that researches the best approaches to improving the life cycle management cost-effectiveness, safety, and quality of patient care. It provides unbiased, evidence-based healthcare research, information, and advice to assist organizations in selecting the safest, most effective medical devices, procedures, and drugs and in procuring healthcare technology in the most cost-effective manner. Numerous VISNs have network and facility level subscriptions to ECRI for their clinical and technical staff.

4. Performance Period: The performance period is one base year with four option years. The base year performance period is September 29, 2023, to September 28, 2024.

5. Type of Contract: Firm-Fixed-Price with Option Renewals.

B. CONTRACT AWARD MEETING

The contractor shall only commence work upon notification of an approved contract award from the contracting officer.

C. GENERAL REQUIREMENTS

Capital Guide and Biomedical Guide provide on-line web-based access (24 hours per day, 365 days per year) to ECRI database of information about healthcare products, suppliers and service providers for healthcare technologies around the world, unbiased reports, hazards and recall alerts, problem reporting system, consultation services, product evaluations, detailed guidance articles.

https://www.ecri.org/Documents/Why_We_Are_Unconflicted_About_Conflicts_of_Interest.pdf https://www.ecri.org/Products/TechnologyAcquisition/CapitalEquipment/Pages/default.aspx https://www.ecri.org/Products/TechnologyPlanningAssessment/EvidenceBasedAssessment/Pages/default.aspx

The Contractor shall provide access to a health device database of information about healthcare products, suppliers and service providers for healthcare technologies around the world, unbiased reports, hazards and recall alerts, problem reporting system, consultation services, product evaluations, and detailed guidance articles.

The Contractor shall provide access to alerts tracker including capital medical equipment and components, durable medical equipment, medical surgical supplies, electromechanical and biologic implants, clinical laboratory reagents, contrast media, drugs, blood products, and food products.

The Contractor shall provide access to an on-line medical equipment management annual subscription service that provides planned maintenance intervals and times for medical devices, corrective maintenance data, Inspection and planned maintenance procedures, cybersecurity best practices and procedures, expected useful life for medical devices / systems, and consulting services as well as a database of discontinued devices and service acquisition costs.

D. SPECIFIC MANDATORY TASKS AND ASSOCIATED DELIVERABLES

The contractor shall work with the contracting officer’s representative to ensure individual access to ECRI for appropriate personnel within VHA. This includes either adding user access accounts within 2 business days upon request and/or providing one or more of the individuals named above with the ability to add users.

The contract will provide user access to the Capital Guide and Biomedical Guide as described below.

On-demand custom technology assessment analyses and advisory service to assist with informing VHA with the cost of healthcare technology. ECRI will provide analysis upon request by the VHA that will help pinpoint savings opportunities, identify discounts, and reveal unnecessary expenditures.

Cost Analysis – Reviews highlight potential cost savings, discount histories, user experience reports, review of general terms and conditions, and specific points for potential negotiation.

Service Analysis – Reviews service requirements to ensure cost-effective and optimum support.

This analysis highlights potential cost savings, discount histories, user experience reports, review of general terms and conditions, and specific points for potential negotiation.

Reagent Contract and Buy VS Cost Per Study Analysis – Reviews the requirements for reagents for use in clinical laboratory equipment that highlights cost savings, discount histories, user experience reports, review of general terms and conditions, and specific points for potential negotiation for capital purchases versus lease/ rental agreements.

Fair Market Value Analysis – A Fair Market Value (FMV) Analysis places a value on used equipment. This analysis highlights marketplace value, user experience ratings, and information to help VHA with forecasting for new and replacement equipment and services.

Health Devices System Online – Allows VHA to access ECRI Institute’s comprehensive members-only Web site at www.ecri.org. In addition to a complete suite of online publications, the http://www.ecri.org/ member site includes a range of online features that support your healthcare technology needs.

These resources will help you stay abreast of critical issues; educate your staff about medical devices, forecast life-cycle costs, and much more.

Health Devices International Sourcebase – Online comprehensive database of medical equipment supplier information which is continually updated and contains supplier listings for nearly 6,000 product categories, as well as contact information and hyperlinks for more than 14,000 medical equipment manufacturers and distributors worldwide.

Healthcare Product Comparison System Online – Online comprehensive database of virtually every type of medical equipment, providing device descriptions and specifications, as well as discussions of the operational importance, clinical applications, projected costs, and value of specific technologies. Brand-name, model-specific, side-by-side specification charts are customizable, so VHA can select, view, and print only the models of interest.

Market Analytics – Real-time pricing information for thousands of model-specific devices to help VHA find configuration information and benchmarks, market share, and most popular models in a device category.

Capital Budget Tool – Tool for building a capital budget online using the S+ Market Analytics catalog or for smaller scale projects such as for equipment lists, renovation projects and construction projects.

Capital Budget Review – Provides comprehensive review and assessment of an annual budget.

ECRI Analysts shall normalize VHA capital wish lists and provide back accurate prices paid with recommended makes/models per technology category along with various other customizations.

Health Devices Alerts – Online comprehensive international database of recalls, hazards, product safety alerts, and reported problems provides critical safety information to VHA weekly to minimize the chance of a missed alert. Health Devices Alerts are derived from a variety of sources, including device manufacturers, individual healthcare facilities, and ECRI Institute’s exclusive evaluations and accident and forensic investigations. Solution also provides the ability to export alerts and save searches for alerts.

Biomedical Guide – Online subscription service and document library that provides planned maintenance intervals and times for medical devices, corrective maintenance data, Inspection and planned maintenance procedures, cybersecurity best practices and procedures, expected useful life for medical devices / systems, and consulting services as well as a database of discontinued devices and service acquisition costs.

Training - Training shall be provided on an unlimited basis throughout the period of performance.

Pre-scheduled, training webinars shall be available each week.

E. SCHEDULE FOR DELIVERABLES

Deliverable No.

One (1)

Item

This is an online subscription; therefore, the vendor will need to provide logins and passwords for VHA members. This requires working with the VHA Office of Healthcare Technology Management (19HTM) to distribute appropriately. For the period of September 29, 2023 to September 28, 2024.

Delivery Date

Within 2 business days after award, however expectation is continuous access from current subscription without a break in service where existing VHA members have access.

If for any reason any deliverable cannot be delivered within the scheduled time frame, the contractor is required to explain why in writing to the CO, including a firm commitment of when the work shall be completed.

F. CHANGES TO THE STATEMENT OF WORK

Any changes to this SOW shall be authorized and approved only through written correspondence from the CO. A copy of each change will be kept in a project folder along with all other products of the project. Costs incurred by the contractor through the actions of parties other than the CO shall be borne by the contractor.

G. REPORTING REQUIREMENTS

The contractor will report to the COR and/or contracting officer within one business day upon awareness that the ECRI subscription website will be inaccessible to users due to planned maintenance or system failures. Include an estimated timeframe for resolution.

H. GOVERNMENT RESPONSIBILITIES

The Government is responsible for communicating with the contractor promptly if assistance is needed in any matter related to this contract and for allowing reasonable time for contractor response and follow through.

I. CONFIDENTIALITY AND NONDISCLOSURE

It is agreed that:

1. The preliminary and final deliverables, and all associated working papers, application source code, and other material deemed relevant by VA which have been generated by the contractor in the performance of this task order, are the exclusive property of the U.S. Government and shall be submitted to the CO at the conclusion of the task order.

2. The CO will be the sole authorized official to release, verbally or in writing, any data, draft deliverables, final deliverables, or any other written or printed materials pertaining to this task order. No information shall be released by the contractor. Any request for information relating to this task order, presented to the contractor, shall be submitted to the CO for response.

3. Press releases, marketing material, or any other printed or electronic documentation related to this project, shall not be publicized without the written approval of the CO.

END

I. CONFIDENTIALITY AND NONDISCLOSURE