March 17, 2010

Process begins to select company to develop provincial diabetes registry

Request for Proposals Period Closed

TORONTO – eHealth Ontario and Infrastructure Ontario announced today that the request for proposals (RFP) to develop a chronic disease management system that will be used initially as a Diabetes Registry for Ontarians and an eHealth Portal framework has closed. The three companies that were short-listed last fall to receive the RFP have now submitted their bids.

The number of Ontarians with diabetes has increased by 69 per cent over the last 10 years – and is projected to grow from 900,000 to 1.2 million by 2010. Treatment for diabetes and related conditions such as heart disease, stroke and kidney disease currently cost Ontario more than $5 billion each year.

The Diabetes Registry is one of the key deliverables of the provincial government’s Ontario Diabetes Strategy and a top clinical priority for eHealth Ontario. The Diabetes Registry will be an interactive, real-time information system designed to:

• Track how well diabetes patients in Ontario are cared for;
• Receive data from sources, such as OHIP claims and laboratory test results;
• Track dates of important tests and lab results to help clinicians and patients better manage their care; and,
• Produce reminders, alerts and reports to improve patient care.

Over the next few months, eHealth Ontario and Infrastructure Ontario will evaluate the proposals based on criteria set out in the RFP. In addition to the written proposals, the companies will also be evaluated on their technical and functional presentations, and product demonstrations that were held over the last few months. A third-party fairness monitor will oversee the Diabetes Registry procurement process to ensure fairness, equity, objectivity, transparency and adequate documentation of the process. The successful company is expected to be announced this spring when the evaluation process is complete. Project costs will be announced publicly following commercial close of the project.

eHealth Ontario is working with Infrastructure Ontario to deliver the project under the provincial government’s Alternative Financing and Procurement (AFP) delivery model. AFP transfers risks to the private sector, including risks related to designing and developing the chronic disease management system, financing for its development and maintaining the system for a five-year period. This ensures the system is built on time, on budget and is well maintained and operational.

eHealth Ontario plays the leading role in harnessing technology and innovation to improve patient care, safety and access in support of the government’s health strategy. eHealth Ontario is the organization responsible for implementing the government’s eHealth agenda building toward an electronic health record for all Ontarians by 2015.

Infrastructure Ontario is a Crown corporation dedicated to managing some of the province’s larger and more complex infrastructure renewal projects - ensuring they are delivered on time and on budget.

Visit www.infrastructureontario.ca or www.ehealthontario.on.ca for more information.

For further information please contact:

Heather Brown,
Communications Advisor,
eHealth Ontario
heather.brown@ehealthontario.on.ca

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