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. (1). Project Description and Requirements: The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality’s (AHRQ’s) mission is to produce evidence to make health care safer, higher quality, more accessible, equitable, affordable, and to work within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) and with other partners to make sure that the evidence is understood and used. AHRQ works to fulfill its mission by conducting and supporting health services research, both within AHRQ as well as in leading academic institutions, hospitals, physicians' offices, health care systems, and many other settings across the country. AHRQ research develops and disseminates evidence-based information on healthcare outcomes, quality, patient safety, cost, use and access. Drug overdose deaths continue to increase dramatically across America with an estimated 107,622 deaths in 2021, an increase of 15% from 2020. The National Survey on Drug Use and Health estimated that 10.1 million individuals ages 12 and older misused opioids in 2019. Recent data suggest disproportionate impacts on rural populations and communities of color. Medication for Opioid Use Disorder (MOUD), previously known as Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT), is an evidence-based approach that uses medication (methadone, buprenorphine, and naltrexone) to treat individuals with Opioid Use Disorder (OUD). A National Academy of Medicine report found that MOUD can reduce mortality by up to 50% in individuals with opioid use disorder. Despite the known effectiveness of MOUD in reducing mortality and illicit opioid use, most individuals with OUD do not receive these medications; only an estimated 12% of individuals who need treatment for substance use disorder receive it. Primary care practices, particularly those in under-resourced or rural communities, are ideally positioned to provide these services as part of providing comprehensive, whole person care. However, few primary care practices offer MOUD. To respond to the opioid crisis and provide practices with a tool to implement MOUD, in 2019, AHRQ developed and published the MAT Playbook for OUD (the “MAT Playbook”), a practical tool that provides guidance to those seeking to integrate MOUD into primary care practice workflow. Although initially conceived to support rural health providers, it is a locale-agnostic tool that can be applied in many ambulatory care settings. The content of the MAT Playbook was developed through a thorough evidence review, collation of established guidelines and consensus building among primary care, behavioral health, and addiction experts. It contains a wealth of information, tools, resources, and guidance, starting with a needs assessment through planning, implementing, tracking, and monitoring patients. Key design principles in the MAT Playbook are an unrelenting commitment to patient-centered care and an emphasis on caregiver and family engagement. The MAT Playbook is available at AHRQ’s Academy for Integration of Behavioral Health and Primary Care website (AHRQ’s Academy website, for short): https://integrationacademy.ahrq.gov/products/playbooks/opioid-use-disorder . MOUD can be thought of as a continuum of care. On one end is a harm reduction approach that seeks to get patients fast access to medication and minimize morbidity and mortality associated with opioid use. On the other end are programs that offer comprehensive, integrated services that address many physical, psychological, and social aspects of addiction. Generally, the MAT Playbook takes a comprehensive approach to address all aspects of implementing MOUD for opioid use disorder in primary or other ambulatory care settings. However, the structure allows users to select only those parts they are currently interested in, whether that is for the solo provider just starting to prescribe buprenorphine or the large practice looking to build capacity and proficiencies. As the MAT Playbook was published in 2019, the content of the Playbook needs to be updated. In the past few years, the terminology has shifted from MAT to MOUD. Since the original Playbook was released, new policies emerged in response to the rise of opioid overdoses during the COVID-19 pandemic and new concerns emerged such as polysubstance use and disparate access, and it is likely additional changes would be identified through an update process. In addition, the updated MOUD Playbook should be evaluated to assess its effectiveness in supporting primary care practices to deliver MOUD in real world settings. The overarching goal is that the Playbook should be designed such that primary care practices could use it as a standalone resource to incorporate the provision of MOUD as part of their routine clinical services. This will be accomplished through a series of interrelated tasks, described in more detail below. Specifically, the purpose of this task order is to update the content and nomenclature of AHRQ’s existing “Medication Assisted Playbook for Opioid Use Disorder (“MAT Playbook”), enhance its usability, and evaluate its utility to primary care clinicians who offer medication for opioid use disorder (MOUD) to their patients, especially those who work with underserved populations and/or under-resourced communities. The updated version of the Playbook will be called the MOUD Playbook. Under this task order, the Contractor shall: 1. Convene a Technical Expert Panel (TEP) to Provide Input Throughout the Project 2. Conduct an Environmental Scan 3. Update the Content of the Current MAT Playbook for the MOUD Playbook 4. Enhance the Usability of the Updated MOUD Playbook 5. Ensure that the MOUD Playbook is Updated, Current, and Relevant 6. Evaluate the MOUD Playbook 7. Revise the MOUD Playbook 8. Disseminate the MOUD Playbook Overview of Tasks: Task 1. Convene a Technical Expert Panel to Provide Input Throughout the Project The Contractor shall convene a Technical Expert Panel (TEP) to provide input throughout the project. The TEP shall consist of 6-9 members with expertise in various areas including but not limited to substance use disorder diagnosis and treatment, integration of behavioral health care into primary care, equity, telehealth, patient engagement, implementation of evidence-based interventions into practice, and federal policy. The Contractor shall utilize the TEP members to provide expert guidance and advice on all activities for this task order to ensure that the final MOUD Playbook is current, relevant, and easy for primary care practices to use. The Contractor shall engage the TEP through email communications and through at least 15 and no more than 20 virtual meetings to obtain TEP guidance. The Contractor shall organize meeting logistics, including the platform that shall be used for virtual meetings; record and take notes; produce draft and final agendas and materials for each meeting; and produce draft and final meeting summaries. Task 2. Conduct an Environmental Scan The Contractor shall review the current MAT Playbook, conduct a review of the grey and peer-reviewed literature, and interview key informants to better understand the current landscape as it applies to MOUD in primary care. Through this process, the Contractor shall identify policy and regulatory changes, promising new models of care for patients with OUD, secular trends and changes in the treatment of patients with OUD, and topics and evidence-based tools related to MOUD treatment and treatment implementation that have emerged since the creation of the current MAT Playbook. The review shall have a particular focus on primary care practices serving under-resourced communities and underserved populations. To supplement the literature review, the Contractor shall conduct interviews of up to nine key informants to ensure that the Playbook addresses the most current concerns in the field. The Contractor shall submit a final Environmental Scan report in AHRQ-approved format for posting on AHRQ’s Academy website (https://integrationacademy.ahrq.gov/products/substance-use-resources/environmental-scan/opioid-use-disorder). Task 3. Update the Content of the Current MAT Playbook for the MOUD Playbook The Contractor shall update the existing MAT Playbook to reflect current knowledge, practice patterns, and nomenclature (including changing the title to “The MOUD Playbook”) based on input from the TEP and information from the Environmental Scan to ensure that all the information in the Playbook is current, that it addresses the current thinking in the field, and that it includes links to the best and most current practices and resources. The update shall include but is not limited to: • Terminology • Clinical content • Laws and regulations • Data and references • New evidence-based tools and resources; evidence-based or promising models for treatment of OUD, particularly those emphasizing health equity and addressing disparities; and implementation of these tools, resources, and models in primary and integrated care. The Contractor shall submit to the TOO a Draft MOUD Playbook in HTML. After approval by the TOO, the Contractor shall present the draft MOUD Playbook to the TEP in a virtual meeting. Based on feedback from AHRQ and the TEP, the Contractor shall revise the draft and submit and updated MOUD Playbook. AHRQ will post the updated MOUD Playbook to the website within one month of accepting the final draft. The Final Updated MOUD Playbook shall be fully compliant with AHRQ Publishing and Communication Style Guidelines and 508 requirements Task 4. Enhance the Usability of the Updated MOUD Playbook The Contractor shall submit to AHRQ a protocol for applying user-centered design principles to improve the ease with which the MOUD Playbook can be understood, navigated, implemented, and used as a standalone tool by end users within primary care practices. Expected end users of the MOUD Playbook are primary care providers and/or clinical teams including behavioral health specialists who will be providing care to patients with OUD. The goal of this task is to test the usability in controlled conditions and incorporate the findings of the usability testing into a revised MOUD Playbook. Any published materials shall be suitable for posting on the publicly accessible AHRQ Academy Website (in HTML format and fully compliant with AHRQ Publishing and Communication Style Guidelines and 508 requirements). Task 5. Ensure that the MOUD Playbook is Updated, Current, and Relevant At the completion of Task 3, the Contractor will have updated the content within the MOUD Playbook based upon the data collected at that point in time. By the completion of Task 4, the structure and format (but not the content) of the MOUD Playbook will have been updated to enhance usability. The general field of substance use disorder treatment moves rapidly, based on changes in evidence, policies, clinician experience, approval of new treatment options, and secular trends. The goal of this task is to incorporate any major changes in the field into the MOUD Playbook during the project period from completion of Task 3 through completion of Task 6. The Contractor shall monitor the field of substance use disorder treatment for significant changes that would impact the validity of the MOUD Playbook. This includes, but is not limited to, monitoring for information released from federal agencies (e.g., the Food and Drug Administration [FDA], Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration [SAMHSA], and the Drug Enforcement Administration [DEA]) and professional societies (e.g., American Society of Addiction Medicine) for major changes in the treatment of substance use disorders. The contractor shall update the MOUD Playbook at least quarterly. Topics for update shall include but are not limited to: • Terminology • Clinical content, such as evidence-based treatments • Laws and regulations • New evidence-based tools and resources; evidence-based or promising models for treatment of MOUD particularly those emphasizing health equity and addressing disparities and their implementation in primary and integrated care. If such changes are identified, the Contractor shall consult the TOO and the TEP as to whether an update is required to ensure that all the information in the Playbook is current, that it addresses the current thinking in the field, and that it includes links to the best and most current practices and resources. If the TOO concurs that an update is needed, the Contractor shall make the update within 2 weeks. Task 6. Evaluate the MOUD Playbook The Contractor shall conduct a field test of the use of the MOUD Playbook by primary care practices to evaluate its utility to primary care practices, identify barriers and facilitators to its use, and assess the extent to which the MOUD Playbook is used as intended. The evaluation shall be conducted in 8 to 10 primary care practices that serve geographically, socioeconomically, racially, and ethnically diverse patient populations. Participating primary care practices should be interested in either beginning or improving the delivery of MOUD care and can include both practices that have already been working to provide MOUD to their patients and practices which have not yet begun to do so. The evaluation shall assess at a minimum: • the extent to which the MOUD Playbook can be used as a standalone tool. • the barriers and facilitators for successful use of the MOUD Playbook. • additional improvements in design or content that could address specific barriers and/or previously unidentified needs. NOTE: The purpose of this evaluation is to field-test the Playbook in order to improve its usefulness to primary care practices seeking to deliver MOUD treatment. AHRQ is NOT seeking an evaluation of the effectiveness of the MOUD Playbook in improving clinical outcomes for patients. Task 7. Revise the MOUD Playbook The Contractor shall revise the MOUD Playbook to address the areas for improvement described in the Final Evaluation Report. Revisions may include deletions or additions to the content (including training videos) as well as changes or improvements to the structure or design to enhance usability. After TOO review, the Contractor shall present a Draft Revised MOUD Playbook to the TEP for feedback in a virtual meeting. One week after the virtual TEP meeting, the Contractor shall submit to the TOO the Final Revised MOUD Playbook, which shall incorporate TEP feedback and be in the appropriate format for posting on AHRQ’s Academy website. Task 8. Disseminate the MOUD Playbook The Contractor shall raise public awareness and disseminate information about the MOUD Playbook and its new, updated content and features through use of diverse marketing and messaging activities, outlets, and platforms, including leveraging opportunities for messaging and disseminating available from the AHRQ Office Communications and AHRQ Academy website. Task 9. Project Administration Within two weeks of the effective date of the task order, the Contractor shall hold a Kick-Off Meeting to review the task order, discuss proposed approach and methods, discuss the Preliminary Project Work Plan that was included in the proposal, review and clarify the scope of work and delivery schedule for the task order, delineate further roles and responsibilities, establish communication protocols, and highlight any concerns and issues. The Contractor shall submit to the TOO a Draft Project Work Plan, which is based on the Preliminary Project Work Plan and incorporates AHRQ feedback from the Kick-off Meeting, if any. The Contractor shall submit Monthly Progress Reports that state in concise form: what was accomplished for each assigned task during the reporting period; problems or delays the Contractor experienced in the conduct of performance requirements, including what specific action(s) is proposed to alleviate the problem(s) and a revised timetable; and activities planned for the next reporting period. Monthly progress reports shall also report monthly and cumulative spending and indicate whether spending track is on track or above or below expected spending levels. The Contractor shall meet virtually with the TOO and any other relevant AHRQ personnel every two weeks to discuss project management, administrative and technical issues related to the project, including any outstanding issues raised in the Monthly Progress Reports. The Contractor shall seek OMB approval or an OMB Exemption (e.g., a clinical exception may be possible), which shall be expected to take up to 9 months. The Contractor shall conduct two 60-minute virtual webinars for stakeholders: one at the end of the second year of the project on the method and lessons learned from updating of MAT Playbook, and the second on key findings from evaluation of usefulness of the Playbook in implementation of MOUD in primary care practices, which shall be held 45 months after contract award. (2). Anticipated period of performance: 48 months (3). Capability Information Sought: Capabilities necessary to fulfill this requirement include: management of opioid use disorder in primary care settings, including the use of MOUD conducting environmental scans soliciting input from panels of experts applying user-center design principles in creating or enhancing interactive, web-based materials creating videos to support on-line trainings recruiting primary care practices to participate in field-based research projects evaluation of field-based implementation activities Use of diverse marketing and communications approches and platforms for dissemination 1. Experience meeting government IT privacy and security requirements. 2. Experience meeting Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) requirements. The tailored capability statement response to this Small Business Sources Sought notice should also 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; and 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 541611. 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 David Goodno, Contract Specialist, David
[email protected] in MS Word, or Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF), no later than 11:00 am Eastern Time, Friday, December 15, 2023. 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. Disclaimer and Important Notes 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).