Germany - Functional extension epias ED

Description

The AG intends to implement the functional expansion of the epias ED software in the emergency outpatient departments of the three locations with an initial fixed term of three years as part of this award procedure, whereby it should be noted that the measure is financed by funds from the Hospital Future Fund. In this respect, it should be noted that in order to be eligible for funding, at least one of the functional requirements for the relevant funding element 1 must be fulfilled. Beyond the initial fixed term, the AG is entitled to a two-time extension option. It may extend the term of the contract by one year each time, i.e. up to a maximum contract term of 5 years, by means of a unilateral written declaration.
In accordance with the tender documents, including the (partially) functional service description, the contractor shall be commissioned with the extension of the existing emergency department information system 'epias ED', which is ready for acceptance, i.e. essentially free of defects and compatible with the current IT landscape. In this respect, all necessary services are to be provided in accordance with the functional service description, from project planning and planning of the expansion of the existing emergency department information system ?epias ED? to installation and commissioning through to support and service.

The planned expansion measures for the complex emergency department information system can only be provided by epias GmbH, as only epias GmbH can guarantee complete and secure integration of the required additional performance functions into the epias ED software, which has been available since 2016. In this respect, it is permissible, in the interests of system security and function, to exclude any risk potential that the connection of different and complex IT system components may entail and to choose the most reliable way of the one-manufacturer strategy.
The taking of medical histories and patient documentation in particular are extremely critical treatment steps in which information must not be lost or falsified. Incorrect data transfer can lead to incorrect treatment decisions and thus to direct harm to the patient (e.g. if allergy information from a medical history form is transferred incorrectly due to an incorrectly programmed interface). In addition, in order to ensure patient safety, the AG must and wants to exclude the risk of a temporary system failure due to the incorrect implementation of an individually programmed interface. Therefore, the specification of ?epias ED? is justified for this reason alone.

Furthermore, it is recognized that the parallel operation of different operating systems requires additional administrative effort, which constitutes an objective reason for specifying the system already implemented in the existing IT structure.
The additional administrative effort for the AG to be expected when procuring third-party software also justifies the specification of 'epias ED'. The personnel expenditure required to implement third-party software is estimated at 30 man-days. Furthermore, around 180 nursing staff and 800 medical colleagues need to be trained. This results in an additional effort of 490 man-days (980 people*4 hours per training session/8 hours per man-day). Irrespective of the financial requirements generated by the additional expenditure of 520 man-days in total, the additional administrative work would result in a significant reduction in the quality of patient care, which could pose an acute risk to patients. Accordingly, it is also justified for this reason to specify the product 'epias ED' to implement the functional expansion of the existing emergency department information system.
Maintenance services can only be provided by epias GmbH, as only epias GmbH has the source codes.

Opportunity closing date

30 September 2024

Value of contract

to be confirmed