ID Notice: DHA244-D001, DHA244-D002, DHA244-D003
Topic Number: DHA_SBIR_244_R1
This topic is intended for technology proven ready to move directly into Phase II and is accepting Direct to Phase II proposals only. Develop expeditionary and interoperable information technology (IT) to enable health care delivery (HCD), medical command and control (MEDC2), medical logistics (MEDLOG), and patient movement (PM) in austere and contested environments.
The Defense Health Agency (DHA) SBIR Program seeks small businesses with strong research and development capabilities to pursue and commercialize medical technologies.
Currently, EXMED units, like many civilian EMS providers, present paper charts or verbal reports when transferring care. These methods of information exchange lead to errors, reducing timeliness and quality of care. Even within such units, medical functionality is not fully interoperable; for example, information from diagnostic equipment must be manually captured in electronic health records (EHR) [2]. Further, administrative and public health functions are often disconnected from EXMED and civilian care providers, limiting visibility of logistics needs (e.g., supply) and safety considerations (e.g., disease vectors). Agile and interoperable solutions are required to improve healthcare provision both on the battlefield and at home.
Mobile and rugged C2, communications, and computer (C4) IT solutions and medical applications are required to ensure uninterrupted and secure HCD within medical units and throughout the continuum, from en route care (ERC) provided during PM to hospital care. Solutions must enable interoperability across all medical and administrative functions (MEDLOG, MEDC2) and domains, securely connecting medical and support endpoints (e.g., laptops, mobile x-rays) to each other and the enterprise.
C4IT solutions must achieve interoperability by implementing joint/industry communications and health IT standards (e.g., United States Core Data for Interoperability [USCDI] [2]) and meeting cybersecurity requirements (e.g., National Institute of Standards and Technology [NIST] Risk Management Framework [RMF] [1]). EXMED C4IT solutions must be resilient, scalable, and extensible. Solutions must survive and operate with limited degradation in various environmental conditions, including climatic extremes, degraded/denied external communications, and in the face of threats such as cyber attacks. Scalability is required to ensure the solution can be tailored to meet the mobility and capacity needs of various medical units. Extensibility is critical to ensuring solutions can incorporate new functionality and additional interfaces as civilian and DOD medical technology improves. For example, C4IT must connect to various civilian health information and DOD networks (e.g., Joint Health Information Exchange). Resiliency and interoperability require an innovative application of networking/communications, artificial intelligence, data storage/management, and other technologies that facilitate realizing smart hospital [3] benefits in a distributed and expeditionary environment.
Direct to Phase II awards under topic DHA244-D003 will total up to $1,300,000 for a 24-month effort. Direct to Phase II awards under topics DHA244-D001 and DHA244-D002 will total up to $3,000,000 for a 24-month effort.
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