HCUP - Modication to contract

The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) intends to extend the period of performance of the current Heathcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP) contract until approximately September - December 2012 with Thomson Reuters (Healthcare) Inc., located at 777 E. Eisenhower Parkway, Ann Arbor, MI 48108-3273. The purpose of this contract extension is to provide for an approximate 12-15 months to inform the design of the next phase HCUP in response to related health reform initiatives and ARRA investments. A full and open re-competition will also be held during this extension period which will include a transition period of a few months between the incumbent and the selected contractor. HCUP is a family of health care databases and related software tools and products developed through a Federal-State-Industry partnership and sponsored by AHRQ to create a national information resource of patient-level health care data. HCUP involves many activities, the primary of which is the development of health services research databases that enable research on a broad range of health policy issues, including cost and quality of health services, medical practice patterns, access to health care programs, and outcomes of treatments at the national, State, and local market levels. The project includes other activities such as technical user support, electronic documentation, central data distribution, and training, among others. More detailed information about HCUP can be found at: http://www.hcup-us.ahrq.gov/ . Thomson Reuters (Healthcare) Inc. is a firm that has demonstrated success in producing HCUP data, products, tools and technical support. The knowledge gained by Thomson Reuters relating to project mission and goals is essential in conducting this complex, multi-faceted project. HCUP produces data, products, and reports that will offer very valuable opportunities to observe, examine, and report on the impact of future health reform initiatives. AHRQ seeks to use the contract extension period to: incorporate the upcoming reform initiatives’ data needs into the design of HCUP; integrate knowledge gained from ARRA contract and grant investments currently underway to state data organizations, for comparative effectiveness research, and for health information technology; and to gather input from experts and stakeholders to guide the future direction and expansion of HCUP to reflect the changing healthcare needs.