The VHIMS Local Solution (Option 2)

What is VHIMS Local Solution?

The VHIMS Local Solution (LS) is an incident and feedback management system which is a modifiable version of the VHIMS Central Solution (CS).

Key benefits of VHIMS CS are:

Improved user experience
Built to collect the VHIMS2 classification system and dataset, which is a simplified and easy to use version of the VHIMS incident types.
Data entry time has been reduced by 75 per cent on average
Reduced number of questions
Simplifies reporting multi-person incidents (i.e. behaviour/aggression)
Able to be used on desktop, laptop, tablet and mobile phone.

The key benefits of VHIMS LS will be similar to these but will depend on the individual modifications negotiated with the supplier.

VHIMS LS integration with Health services patient records:

The code base for the VHIMS LS has functionality within the system to enable a link to fetch patient data such as patient name via the Department’s Unique Patient Identifier (UPI) system or the Victorian public health service’s own Patient Administration System (PAS). Only Victorian public health services that have been onboarded to the UPI will be able to access the UPI system, noting that the UPI can only return patient data for a Victorian public health service’s own patient data.

Victorian public health services that choose the VHIMS LS option will be able to work with their preferred supplier to implement connectivity between the Victorian public health service’s environment and the UPI system, or connectivity to their own PAS.

Victorian public health services that have not yet been onboarded for UPI may choose first to implement the VHIMS LS, and then seek connectivity to UPI at a later stage when UPI onboarding has occurred.

For more information on the UPI program, click here.

What services are covered under the VHIMS LS (Option 2)?

For Victorian public health services that select Option 2, the following services are included:

Ensure the Victorian public health service is using the VHIMS LS by 01 July 2021 to meet their VHIMS MDS reporting requirements.
Ensure the technical implementation of the VHIMS LS occurs in the Victorian public health service’s appropriate technical environment (e.g. its Azure tenancy) and undertake any modifications as agreed.
Ensure the implementation meets the appropriate Baseline Cybersecurity Controls that apply to the health sector.
Ensure the Victorian public health service and their staff have been successfully onboarded to VHIMS LS.
Ensure the Victorian public health service’s trainers as nominated by the Victorian public health service, are trained in the use of VHIMS LS.
Ensure a smooth and well managed transition from the existing Victorian public health service platform to the VHIMS LS.
Provide ongoing support arrangements for the Victorian public health service that chooses this arrangement.
Provide future enhancements for the Victorian public health service that chooses this arrangement.
Ensure the Victorian public health services that choose this arrangement, are no longer recording incidents and feedback in their legacy incident and feedback management application. In this instance, health services will need to request the legacy system to be locked down to ‘read only’.

Please note: the data in a Victorian public health service’s legacy VHIMS system will need to be maintained for any data requests. Victorian public health services are responsible for maintaining this data.

Which suppliers will provide these services?

VAHI and the Department are pleased to advise that Dialog Information Technology (Dialog IT) and Alcidion have been appointed to the panel of suppliers that Victorian public health services are able to engage to provide services relating to the implementation of the VHMS LS (option 2).

These suppliers will be able to provide services covering implementation of the VHIMS LS, onboarding arrangements, training and ongoing support services as well as development services for modification and customisation. More detail on services offered under the panel is included below.

Implementation of the VHIMS LS

Implementation services cover the initial technical implementation of the Victorian public health service’s VHIMS LS application into the appropriate environment. This may include implementation into:

A Victorian public health service’s Azure tenancy,
The Azure tenancy of the supplier chosen by the Victorian public health service from the VHIMS statewide panel, or
An alternative environment of the Victorian public health service’s choosing (this may be an on-premise environment).

Implementation services include activities such as server and database preparation, installation of the application software, VHIMS CS Information Management System (IMS) Applied Programming Interface (API) registration and configuration, network connectivity for users and integration points, establish disaster recovery, and other essential components.

Onboarding Services

Onboarding services cover the initial onboarding of the Victorian public health service and their staff onto their VHIMS LS application.

Onboarding services include activities such as configuration of the VHIMS LS application for the Victorian public health service, details such as campuses, programs, units and ward/locations, developing and implementing alerts and notification rules and onboarding of the staff into the VHIMS LS application (and Azure as required).

Training Services

Training services cover the VHIMS LS application training of Victorian public health service staff; this service will include training planning, training material and delivery of the training.

Support Services

Services are also available for the ongoing support of the Victorian public health service’s VHIMS LS application. There are a range of support services available, which have been designed to provide flexible choices to the Victorian public health services that choose this option.

The type of support available includes:

Level 3 support of the VHIMS LS application, including addressing technical errors and system failures and upgrades
Level 2 support of the VHIMS LS application, including addressing difficulties accessing the system
Level 1 Help Desk services for the VHIMS LS application – including maintenance of user profiles.

A Victorian public health service can also choose to include or exclude environment support in the level 3 support. This provides flexibility for those that may want to use their own existing facilities manager for environment support.

All support services are also available for usual business hours or 24 / 7 coverage depending on the needs of each Victorian public health service.

Development Services

Development services are for enhancements and customisations related to VHIMS LS that a Victorian public health service may require to the base application. Development services includes all typical Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC) activities, such as technical design, development and testing.

Each Victorian public health service can decide which customisations are required.

Potential VHIMS LS customisations that some Victorian public health services have highlighted include:

New fields to further classify Incidents for other reporting and funding requirements.
New modules such as a Risk Register, MET Call, morbidity (death) and the Quality Register.

There will also be further modifications that are driven by Departmental, SCV or VAHI requirements. These may relate to changes in policy or new VHIMS MDS (e.g. the addition of feedback information), which will impact all Victorian public health services. The development costs of these modifications will be the responsibility of the Victorian public health service.

Development services may be required before the initial technical implementation of the Victorian public health service’s VHIMS LS application or may be required at any time after the initial technical implementation. The timing may vary across different Victorian public health services, depending on their own requirements.

All enhancements and customisations must reflect development standards outlined by the Victorian public health service, must ensure compliance with the VHIMS MDS, and must not impact or ‘break’ the original source code of the packaged VHIMS CS provided by the Department. It is important to note that some aspects of the VHIMS CS also cannot be modified. For example, the fields that VAHI require as part of the VHIMS MDS, including the Sentinel Event list, the National Safety and Quality Health Service Standards and the new VHIMS incident event types. In some instances, it may be necessary to first check with either the Department or VAHI before changes are made.

Additional considerations

Victorian public health services should note that appointed suppliers for the VHIMS LS (Option 2) must provide all software licences and subscriptions needed for VHIMS LS to operate. This includes all software licences and subscriptions needed for the VHIMS CS version provided by the Department and for any enhancements or changes made by the appointed supplier or the Victorian public health service.

Exceptions to this may apply when Victorian public health services’ incumbent facility manager provides software licences and / or subscriptions as part of the facility management services.

Please also note the data in a Victorian public health service’s legacy VHIMS system will need to be maintained for any data requests, with Victorian public health services responsible for this aspect.

Supplier details

Dialog Information Technology (Dialog IT) and Alcidion have provided a prospectus that will assist Victorian public health services to decide which supplier will be most appropriate for their organisation.

Aldicon

Click here to access the Aldicon prospectus

Contact Aldicon via [email protected].

Dialog IT

Click here to access the Dialog IT prospectus

Contact Dialog IT via [email protected].

What are the costs of the VHIMS LS (Option 2)?

The costs for software development of the base application of the VHIMS LS have been paid by VAHI. However, Victorian public health services that choose this option will be responsible for meeting their implementation, onboarding, training and ongoing support options, as well as any modifications and customisation (including other new modules of the VHIMS LS application the Victorian public health service may require).

Costs are classified to align to the services available under the panel arrangements. All of the services, except development services, have a maximum fixed price cost based on whether a Victorian public health service is a small, medium or large organisation (determined by bed days), and each of the panel suppliers will have their own maximum fixed price costs. The cost of development services is based on a set rate card for predefined technical roles, and each of the panel suppliers will have their own rate card costs.

The training services costs are for 10 hours of training (train the trainer). Location and method of training will be negotiated by the supplier and the health service. Victorian public health services will incur additional costs if they would like additional training, or if they’re located outside of metropolitan areas and require face-to-face training. Extra training sessions can be purchased in increments of 10-hour blocks and additional training services (such as a training needs analysis) can be negotiated with the supplier (this will be costed according to the supplier’s rate card).

The costs for health services that do not have bed days data are able to negotiate with the preferred supplier to decide on the most suitable pricing model.

Costing for additional VHIMS LS services are available from the appointed panel suppliers.

Process for engaging suppliers to implement the VHIMS Local Solution (Option 2)

Victorian public health services that want to use a supplier from the panel will need to:

Organise for their nominated delegate to contact a supplier on the panel to discuss the option and clarify any issues, including what preparatory actions need to be undertaken and likely timing.
Sign the Participation Deed with the Department covering the required intellectual property considerations (see below for more detail). Participating Victorian public health services will then be able to directly engage with either Dialog IT or Alcidion for their VHIMS LS services.
Sign an individual Purchase Order with a panel supplier for the provision of services to implement the VHIMS LS (Option 2).
Advise VAHI at [email protected] that they want to implement this option and advise on the timing of their implementation agreed with their preferred supplier.

Please note that:

Panel suppliers will enter into a State Purchase Contract with the Department that allows them to offer these services.
The Department and VAHI will not be involved in Victorian public health services’ engagement with the nominated panel suppliers, Dialog IT or Alcidion. However, the Department will continue to manage the State Purchase Contract it has with these suppliers, and as such will be an escalation point for Victorian public health services during the service engagement, and any execution of Purchase Orders.
The State Purchase Contract between the Department and the panel does not include the provision of service credits. However, Victorian public health services may wish to include service credits in their contract with the preferred supplier. Service credits can be useful for contracts involving ongoing services, such as IT support, to help track and manage the service provided by a supplier.

The basic premise of service credits is that if a supplier fails to meet an agreed service level then the purchaser (in this case a Victorian public health service) would be remediated by the supplier. The panel suppliers for the VHIMS LS are open to discussion on service credit approaches, and Victorian public health services should refer to the supplier’s prospectus document for more information or contact [email protected].

If a Victorian public health service would like to obtain a copy, or has any questions relating to the Participation Deed, State Purchase Contract or Purchase Order, please email [email protected].

Intellectual property considerations for the VHIMS Local Solution (Option 2)

The Department will retain intellectual property (IP) for the VHIMS Central Solution (CS), upon which the VHIMS LS is based.

It will grant a license under the Participation Deed making the source code for the VHIMS CS available to participating Victorian public health services, with a licence condition that those services must assign or grant a broad reverse licence back to the Department in respect of any enhancements or corrections made to their VHIMS LS solution.

This scenario enables the participating Victorian public health services to move between VHIMS statewide tender panel suppliers to implement the VHIMS LS, without IP issues relating to panel members. This means that they are able to leverage other enhancements or corrections made by other participating Victorian public health services to their VHIMS LS solutions.

The Whole of Victorian Government IP Policy sets out the Victorian government’s policy intent and principles with respect to the acquisition and management of IP by government agencies.

Timing

All Victorian public health services are required to have their preferred incident and feedback management systems in place by 1 July 2021 in order to submit the new VHIMS MDS.

Victorian public health services are able to reconsider their decision subject to contracts with their chosen supplier at any stage in the future. The only requirement is that VAHI receives the VHIMS MDS via the API – unless the VHIMS CS is the preferred option. For this arrangement, VHIMS MDS data are automatically stored in the secure VAHI database.

Where to go for further information?

If a Victorian public health service has any general queries about information on the VHIMS statewide tender, please contact VAHI via [email protected].

If a Victorian public health service wishes to obtain further information relating to the proposed process for implementing the VHIMS LS (Option 2) and associated costs, please contact either Dialog IT or Alcidion, which have been appointed through the VHIMS statewide tender panel to provide these services.