HCIC Project Example: Electronic Health Records (EHR) 

Market Strategy and Support for Replacement of a Medical Information System

National Institutes of Health, Clinical Center - Bethesda, Maryland 

Situation:

The Clinical Center of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), after twenty-five years of using its present Medical Information System (MIS), desired a strategy for a replacement system and guidance through the selection and evaluation process. In addition to replacing the base functionality for physician ordering, results retrieval and charting functions for all NIH inpatient and outpatient visits, they needed to fill gaps in their current system to support the clinical research mission of NIH. These included clinical decision support, protocol mapping, ease of interfacing and ease of data retrieval. They also needed to support collection and distribution of structured clinical data, management data, and image presentation.

Solution:

• Developed a project plan and communications plan to involved clinicians and key stakeholder in the process.
• Developed the strategic framework for the system replacement with multiple procurements and system integration among the various component systems.
• Worked with the Government to develop a fair and open procurement process.
• Developed the governance structure and organized committees including Steering Committee, Stakeholders and Work Groups.
• Identified functions provided by the current systems and conducted interviews and focus groups to identify additional requirements for future NIH and Clinical Center.
• Identified critical success factors, project objectives, and success measures.
• Developed approach including guiding principles for decision making and major strategies for IT implementation.
• Developed functional, business/administrative systems requirements meeting with key stakeholders and conducting focus groups.
• Worked with technical staff, defined architecture for technical and network environment.
• Prepared a White Paper on data standards and interoperability.
• Developed an approach for sharing clinical trails data among the various Institutes.
• Prepared specifications for interfaces for systems within and external to NIH.
• Reviewed market place to identify candidate vendors and presented findings.
• Developed prioritization methodology, conducted prioritization exercises and prepared weighted system requirements.
• Developed Statement of Work and Evaluation Criteria for the new system.
• Prepared Request for Proposal and Proposal clarification documents.
• Developed scenarios for live test demonstrations.
• Assisted the Government in the evaluation of proposals received.
• Supported evaluation including proposal analysis, references, vendor and site visits.

The system selection and subsequent contract award was a lengthy process, but upon completion, HCIC was recognized for their support that contributed greatly to the success of the system selection and implementation. HCIC continues to work with NIH today.