SNOMED CT AND RELATED SERVICES

The National Library of Medicine (NLM) intends to negotiate on a sole source basis under the authority of FAR 6.302-1(a)(2)(iii), Only One Responsible Source and No Other Supplies or Services will Satisfy Agency Requirements, to the International Health Terminology Standards Development Organisation, c/o Kammeradvokaten, Advokatfirmaet Poul Schmith, Vester Farimagsgade 23, 1606 Copenhagen V, Denmark to renew the USA's rights to use and distribute the international release of SNOMED CT, conferred by membership in the International Health Terminology Standards Development Organisation (IHTSDO). SNOMED CT is a comprehensive, multi-axial, controlled terminology suitable for use in patient, public health, and health research data and it is one of the vocabularies included in the National Library of Medicine's Unified Medical Language System Metathesaurus. SNOMED CT is a proprietary product originally owned by the College of American Pathologists, which developed successive versions of the terminology over 35 years. In April 2007, the International Health Terminology Standards Development Organisation acquired the intellectual property rights to SNOMED CT and all previous versions of the terminology from the College of American Pathologists. Over a period of years, various U.S. federal agencies, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the Department of Defense, and the Veterans Administration, determined that SNOMED CT can assist in improving the quality of patient, public health, and health research data that Federal agencies create, collect, exchange, or analyze, both within the Federal government and in conjunction with state and local governments or private organizations. The National Committee on Vital and Health Statistics, a Federal advisory committee with responsibility for advising the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services on matters related to health data, recommended SNOMED CT as one of a "core set" of U.S. standards for collecting and exchanging patient medical record information. SNOMED CT has since been selected as a standard for the electronic exchange of clinical health information. Most recently SNOMED CT was designated as a national standard for several purposes (problem list, public health reporting) in the initial certification criteria for electronic health records (EHRs) issued by the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC). Subsequent regulations have designated that SNOMED CT be the U.S. national standard for additional categories of information in EHRs and for additional health information exchange transactions. SNOMED CT has been chosen as the standard for selected data elements in international genetic information resources, including a Genetic Testing Registry and database of clinically significant human variations under development at NIH. It is also being used in an increasing number of clinical research studies. The period of performance shall be one year from date of award with four (4) additional one-year option periods. The North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code for this requirement is 518210 with the small business size standard of $32.5. This is not a Request for Proposals (RFP), nor is a RFP available. Notwithstanding, any responsive source, that believes it is capable of meeting NLM's requirement, as stated herein, may submit their corporate capabilities, which, if received by the response date of this announcement, may be considered. Responses to this posting must be submitted via NLM's Electronic Contract Proposal Submission (eCPS) system at https://ecps.nih.gov/nlm, no later than 4:30 p.m., (Eastern-Daylight Savings Time), Friday, August 26, 2016. A determination by the Government not to compete this proposed requirement based upon responses to this notice is solely within the discretion of the Government. NOTE: For directions on using eCPS, go to https://ecps.niaid.nih.gov/nlm and click on "How to Submit." To submit your electronic proposal using eCPS, all offerors must have a valid NIH External Directory Account, which provides authentication and serves as a vehicle for secure transmission of documents and communication with the NLM. The NIH External Directory Account registration process may take up to 24 hours to become active. Submission of proposals by facsimile or e-mail is not accepted.