Q--DATA ANALYST ASSIST WITH PATIENT CARE DISEASE MANAGEMENT AND MEDICATION ADHEREENCE AND USE AND EFFECTIVENESS OF ICD IN THE VA HEALTH SYSTEM

Under the Authority of 41 U.S.C. 253(c)(1), and FAR 6.302-1, the VISN 19 Rocky Mountain Consolidated Contracting Center, Denver, CO, proposes to enter into a non-competitive commercial items contract with an specific individual who resides in Denver, Colorado. The Eastern Colorado Health Care System (ECHCS), Research Services at the Department of Veteran Affairs, in Denver Colorado has a requirement for an individual to provide research study design and data analysis for several research projects, including Patient-Centered Disease Management, Medication Adherence and the Optimal Use and Cost Effectiveness of ICD's in the VA Health Care System. The goal of the Medication Adherence study is to reduce re-hospitalization for heart troubles and deaths of veterans following heart attack hospitalization and to test whether the multi-faceted patient-centered adherence intervention is effective in improving adherence to heart medications and achieving blood pressure (BP) and LDL-cholesterol goals among veterans following heart attack hospitalization. The intervention will adapt elements of prior successfully adherence interventions, including: collaborative care (between pharmacists, primary care providers, and cardiologists), patient education (tailored to patient needs and provided on a regular ongoing basis), tailoring of medication regimens (i.e., use of pill boxes, simplification of dosing, synchronization of refill dates), and tele-monitoring via interactive voice response (IVR) technology. Therefore this study requires an assistant who is experienced in medical terminology and patient care. Given the individual's experience as a First Responder, he has expertise in both medical terminology and patient care. Given the unique issues with these studies (complex cohorts that are difficult to enroll, follow-up and analyze), they require a researcher with strong comprehension in randomized controlled trials, retrospective cohort and prospective cohort study design. Additionally, they require statistical knowledge in power analysis, logistic regression, longitudinal databases and Poisson regression. The individual is a unique candidate because he is actively working toward on a Master's degree in both Epidemiology (emphasis in study design) and Biostatistics at the Colorado School of Public Health. Additionally, because of his additional experience as a First Responder, he has a strong background in medical terminology and patient care. Finally, he has experience working with cross-disciplinary teams and working on multiple projects contemporaneously. Overall, this individual's previous experience and current educational pursuits give him the unique qualities necessary to implement the multi-faceted requirements of these studies. Interested persons may identify their interest and capability to respond to the requirement or submit proposals. This notice of intent is not a request for competitive proposals. However, all proposals received within the due date for receipt of proposals will be considered by the Government. A Determination by the Government not to compete with this proposed contract based upon responses to this notice is solely within the discretion of the Government. Information received will normally be considered solely for the purpose of determining whether to conduct a competitive procurement.