Web-Based Clinical Reference Tool

The Department of Health and Human Services, Program Support Center, Division of Acquisition Management, SAS, intends to negotiate and award a contract on a sole-source basis to UpToDate, Inc., 95 Sawyer Road, Waltham, MA 02453-3471, for a one-year base period with two one-year option periods. The acquisition is for continued access to the UpToDate online clinical reference service at 12 Indian Health Service (IHS) facilities for 952 physicians. IHS is responsible for the provision of high quality direct health care services to American Indian and Alaska Native people through a large network of hospitals and clinics distributed through 35 states. Because of rapidly changing knowledge in all fields of medicine, it is impossible for physicians and other clinicians to possess all information necessary to make the myriad clinical decisions with which they are faced on a daily basis. The provision of quality medical care requires IHS and its facilities to provide clinical information and decision support resources'especially internet-based tools that are intuitive to use, quick, and updated regularly. This information can be a matter of life or death for patients. IHS requires system-wide access to an internet-based resource that quickly and accurately permits clinicians to drill down to specific information about medical symptoms, syndromes, and disease conditions. The type of information required includes general descriptions of disease conditions, presenting symptoms and differential diagnosis, approaches to evaluation including laboratory and radiologic testing, treatment options, and recommended follow-up. The information presented must reflect current literature, best practices, and expert recommendations; it must be updated regularly to reflect current medical knowledge and practice, so that IHS physicians have access to the best available data. The system must be intuitive to navigate without specific training and must offer easy to use search options as well as topic menus and hyperlinks that enable the user to refine the search and quickly access the specific information that is sought. The system must assist in reducing adverse events from patient care, decrease complication rates, improve patient safety and shorten hospital length of stay. The statutory authority for other than full and open competition is 41 U.S.C. 253(c)(1), only one responsible source and no other supplies or services will satisfy agency requirements. IHS has subscribed to the UpToDate online clinical reference service since Fiscal Year 2002. The service has become integrated into clinical practice in IHS, and both users and administrators across the system depend on it to assist in delivering quality health care. UpToDate hospitals have clearly shown in studies that the average length of stay was reduced and the complications rate was lowered when clinicians had access to the online reference tool. Clinicians who have UpToDate information change the way they managed the patient's care which results in a lesser error rate, a shorter hospital stay, and reduced rate of complications in a patient's care. UpToDate provides the most current, relevant, and evidenced-based medical information needed at the point of care. Additionally, UpToDate is solely a subscriber funded supplier of medical information and does not accept commercial support of any kind unlike other medical information suppliers. UpToDate is also ACCME accredited so clinicians can use CME credits for maintaining medical licenses. Based on the above, the Government believes UpToDate to be unique in its ability to satisfy this requirement. Vendors who are interested in this acquisition must demonstrate in writing that they can meet the Government's requirement by July 29, 2008. Responses must include a written narrative statement of capability, including detailed technical information and other technical literature demonstrating the ability to satisfy the stated requirements. Failure to submit adequate documentation will result in the Government proceeding with a sole-soure award to UpToDate. A determination by the Government not to open the requirement to competition based upon responses to this notice is solely within the discretion of the Government. The NAICS code is 511210.