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Contract Opportunity

Introduction:

This is a Small Business Sources Sought notice (SBSS). This is NOT a solicitation for proposals, proposal abstracts, or quotations. The purpose of this notice is to obtain information regarding: (1) the availability and capability of qualified small business sources; (2) whether they are small business; HUBZone small businesses; service-disabled, veteran-owned small businesses; 8(a) small businesses; veteran-owned small businesses; woman-owned small businesses; or small disadvantaged businesses; and (3) their size classification relative to the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code for the proposed acquisition. Your responses to the information requested will assist the Government in determining the appropriate acquisition method, including whether a set-aside is possible. An organization that is not considered a small business under the applicable NAICS code should not submit a response to this notice.

Project Description and Requirements:

The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) conducts and supports a broad base of scientific research and promotion of improvements in clinical and health systems practices, including the prevention of diseases and other health conditions. AHRQ sponsors and conducts research that develops and presents evidence-based information on healthcare outcomes, quality, patient safety, cost, use and access. Included in AHRQ’s mandate is support of synthesis and dissemination of available scientific evidence, including dissemination research and analytic methods or systems for rating the strength of scientific evidence. AHRQ sponsors and conducts research on existing as well as innovating technologies, and conducts research on methods for measuring quality and strategies for improving quality. AHRQ also recognizes that a number of populations experience persistent disparities in health status, access to care, quality of care, and poor health outcomes.

Included in AHRQ’s mandate is technical support of the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) in making evidence-based recommendations about clinical preventive services (i.e. screening, counseling, and preventive medications) for implementation in primary care settings. This technical support includes the synthesis and dissemination of available scientific evidence on clinical preventive services.

AHRQ has a need for the development of evidence reviews (systematic review, technical brief/evidence map/scoping review, or topic brief) for the AHRQ Evidence-based Practice Center (EPC) Program, which procures high-quality evidence reviews and is a leader in developing evidence synthesis research methods.

The reviews must be consistent with established processes and guidance described in the AHRQ EPC Methods Guide for Effectiveness and Comparative Effectiveness Reviews (https://effectivehealthcare.ahrq.gov/products/collections/cer-methods-guide) and the Institute of Medicine Standards for Systematic Reviews (https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/13059/finding-what-works-in-health-care-standards-for-systematic-reviews). The methods and procedures are consistent with international guidance for reporting of systematic reviews (http://www.prisma-statement.org/), and adapted for AHRQ. Reviews to inform USPSTF recommendations must also be conducted consistent with the processes as described in the USPSTF procedure manual for the topic work plan, development research plans, and public comment (https://www.uspreventiveservicestaskforce.org/uspstf/about-uspstf/methods-and-processes/procedure-manual).

Systematic reviews are developed for an end-user, which includes the USPSTF, guideline development clinical group, Federal agency, healthcare provider, health system, payer, or research funder. The reviews vary in size, and often are large and complex, including 90-200+ studies. Reviews include public comment periods, peer review, and engagement of stakeholders. With funding from a variety of sources, each with a different program goal, the contractor will work with various partners and stakeholders to review a variety of health care delivery and clinical areas of focus. Clinical areas may focus on traditional therapeutics as well as prevention, complementary, alternative, nutritional, and other emerging areas such as genomics and may span from preventative services to implementation of medical devices.

The service will be performed remotely. Each task order represents a single evidence review or reviews.

Anticipated period of performance:

The period of performance will vary for each topic and product purchased. Upcoming topics include:

1. Autism Screening (Small Systematic Review Update; 36 months USPSTF Procedures)

2. Sexually Transmitted Infections Counseling (Medium Topic Refinement, Medium Systematic Review, Manuscript; 36 months USPSTF Procedures)

3. Cognitive Impairment in Older Adults Screening (Large Topic Refinement, Large Systematic Review, Manuscript; 36 months USPSTF Procedures)

4. Prostate Cancer Screening (Large systematic review, manuscript, decision modeling; 36 months USPSTF Procedures)

5. Vision Screening in Children (Medium Topic Refinement, Medium Systematic Review, Manuscript; 36 months USPSTF Procedures)

6. Tobacco cessation in Adults, counseling and preventive medicine (Medium Topic Refinement, Medium Systematic Review, Manuscript; 36 months USPSTF Procedures)

7. Prehospital EMS Blood Transfusion (Medium Topic Refinement, Medium or Large Systematic Review; 63 weeks)

8. Hypofractionated radiation therapy for localized prostate cancer (Medium Topic refinement, medium systematic review, webinar, and manuscript; 63 weeks)

9. Medical Management of Kidney Stones (Medium Topic refinement, medium systematic review, webinar, and manuscript; 63 weeks)

10. Improving the Management of Menopausal Symptoms (Medium Topic refinement, medium systematic review, webinar, and manuscript; 81 weeks)

11. Interventions to prevent non-ventilator associated pneumonia for inpatients (Rapid Review; 36 weeks)

12. Outcomes of Alternative Payment Models (Large topic refinement, medium systematic review; 62 weeks)

13. The Performance of Fusion Procedures for Degenerative Disease of the Lumbar Spine (Medium Topic refinement, medium systematic review, webinar, and manuscript; 63 weeks)

14. Impact of Healthcare Worker Safety and Wellness (Large Systematic Review; 57 weeks)

15. Treatment for Fetal Atrioventricular Block in Pregnant Individuals with Anti-SSA and Anti-SSB Antibodies (Medium Topic refinement, medium systematic review, webinar, and manuscript; 63 weeks)

16. Adult Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (Diagnosis, Treatment, Misuse of Stimulants) (Medium systematic review, Large systematic review, and Rapid review; 57 weeks)

17. Dietary total fat intake and dietary polyunsaturated fatty acid intake and child growth and development outcomes (Large Systematic Review; 57 weeks)

18. The effect of dietary saturated fat replacement on blood lipid outcomes in adults and children; The effect of dietary intake of polyunsaturated fatty acids on blood lipid outcomes in adults and children (2 Large Systematic Reviews; 57 weeks)

19. The effect of dietary saturated fat replacement on cardiovascular endpoint outcomes in adults (medium); The effect of dietary intake of polyunsaturated fatty acids and cardiovascular endpoint outcomes in adults (large) (One medium systematic review and one large systematic review; 57 weeks)

Capability Information Sought:

Capabilities necessary to fulfill this requirement include:

• Experience and expertise in rigorous evidence synthesis


• Expertise in stakeholder engagement to improve usability and applicability of evidence reviews


• Statistical expertise


• Library science


• Project management


• Editorial expertise


• 508-compliance experience


• Content expertise in
  
  
  
  • Prostate cancer, particularly related to screening and radiation treatment
  
  
  • Clinical prevention, particularly related to Autism Spectrum disorder, sexually transmitted infections, cognitive impairment, vision screening, and tobacco cessation
  
  
  • Kidney stone management, including pharmacologic and dietary interventions for prevention
  
  
  • Women’s health, particularly around menopause management
  
  
  • Interventions to prevent non-ventilator associated pneumonia in the hospital setting
  
  
  • Alternative payment models
  
  
  • Patient safety and healthcare worker wellness
  
  
  • Lumbar spine fusion surgery
  
  
  • Pregnancy and fetal atrioventricular block
  
  
  • Pre-hospital care, fluid resuscitation, and blood transfusion
  
  
  • Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder diagnosis and treatment in adults, and stimulant medication misuse
  
  
  • Fatty acid intake and health impacts (child growth, blood lipids, and cardiovascular risk)
  
  
  
  

NOTE: AHRQ is seeking small businesses who can complete one or more of the topics included above. Respondents do not need to demonstrate capability/knowledge in all topic areas.

The capability statement response to this Small Business Sources Sought notice should include the following information:

a. Staff expertise, including their availability, experience, and formal and other training;

b. Current in-house capability and capacity to perform the work;

c. Corporate experience and information on prior projects of similar size and complexity;

d. List any Government wide contracting vehicle for which the respondent has a contract (example, GSA schedule, etc).

Information Submission Instructions

Interested qualified small business organizations should submit a tailored capability statement for this requirement.

The cover page must include the following:

• UEI number


• Organization name


• Organization address


• Size and type of business (e.g., 8(a), HUBZone, etc.) pursuant to NAICS code 541715.


• Technical point(s) of contact, including names, titles, addresses, telephone, and e-mail addresses.

All Capability Statements sent in response to this SMALL BUSINESS SOURCES SOUGHT notice must be submitted electronically (via e-mail) to Alyssa Tornatore, Contract Specialist, Alyssa.Tornatore@ahrq.hhs.gov in MS Word, or Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF), no later than 12:00 PM on April 19, 2024. Responses should not exceed 15 single-sided pages (including the cover page, all attachments, resumes, charts, etc.) presented in single-space and using a 12-point font size minimum, that clearly details the ability to perform the aspects of the notice described above.

This notice does not obligate the Government to award a contract or otherwise pay for the information provided in response. The Government reserves the right to use information provided by respondents for any purpose deemed necessary and legally appropriate. Any organization responding to this notice should ensure that its response is complete and sufficiently detailed to allow the Government to determine the organization’s qualifications to perform the work. 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. After a review of the responses received, a pre-solicitation synopsis and solicitation may be published in SAM.gov. However, responses to this notice will not be considered adequate responses to a solicitation.

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).

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