Updated May 12, 2021
RFQ ID: RFQ1490838
“The purpose of this project is to develop a new mobile application in order to monitor peripheral markers of arousal, such as heart rate and heart rate variability using an Apple Watch and related smart phone technology.”
“The contractor designs and executes an application interface which collects and stores heart rate parameters for clinicians and researchers to review research participants’ data. Collected data will be stored in a secure data base, which adheres to the NIMH Division of Intramural Research Programs’ security specifications. The contractor will develop technology that interfaces between research participants and the data base, through EDB’s purchased mobile technology. EDB and the contractor will collaborate to analyze, design, and enhance the application. In addition to building on a prior contractor’s application interface, this contractor will also use Amazon Web Services and Apple Developer Program. Through a cloud portal, managed by the contractor, EDB will be able to manage app users, as well as view and analyze research participants’ data. Once ready to be disseminated, the contractor will continue to provide general app-related support and monitor the data platform. When completed, the contractor will distribute the final product and will keep providing ongoing support needs of the mobile app and monitor the full platform of data collection techniques.”
“For this project, the contractor will improve the existing gaming platform to collect enhanced data. The contractor will work with EDB to determine specific app capabilities that will best serve the needs of EDB’s patients, clinicians, and researchers. Service shall include, but is not limited to:
- Utilize the distinctive capabilities of technical software development to achieve previously outlined research goals;
- Create an easily accessible mobile application to increase data collection capabilities outside of a controlled laboratory setting;
- Automate data collection to occur within a unique platform, allowing for complex analytics of patients’ heart rate and heart rate variance while adhering to required research precautions;
- Supply patients’ heart rate and heart rate variance analytics, as measured by the mobile application, to compare to laboratory-based task measurements (e.g. Empatica E4 wristband), performance on other mobile applications (e.g. CALM-IT), symptom measurements (e.g. RATE-IT and questionnaires), and treatment outcomes;
- Supply patients’ heart rate and heart rate variance analytics, as measured by the mobile application, in a graphical format so the EDB clinical team can visualize the data and utilize it to improve patients’ treatment;
- Adhere to data storage requirements and suggestions as established in previous mobile application projects; and
- Guide EDB through technical matters throughout the creation and distribution of the mobile application…”
Posted April 27, 2021
Solicitation Number: NIMH21003473
“Background:
The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) utilizes basic and clinical research to transform the understanding and treatment of mental illnesses across the lifespan, paving the way for prevention, recovery, and cure. The Neuroscience and Novel Therapeutics Unit (NNT) within the NIMH embodies this goal by leveraging neuroscience to identify treatment targets and mechanisms, subsequently utilizing these targets to develop brain-based treatments for children with serious psychiatric disorders. In alignment with these mission statements, the proposed enhancements to the current mobile application (Track-It Mobile App) will allow for the acquisition of new forms of patient data, such as heart rate and heart rate variability, to be integrated with current app functions (including a mobile game aiming to measure behavioral response inhibition and patient-rated assessments to measure clinical symptoms in vivo). These changes will ameliorate the shortcomings of prior technologies by greatly enhancing the portability of ambulatory heart rate monitoring during app-based tasks, thus generating physiological data with greater relevance to the types of environmental demands patients encounter both in the clinic and daily life. The vendor will update the current mobile app to integrate Apple Healthkit heart monitoring capabilities, which will allow for the synchronization of data collection across behavioral, patient-report, and physiological measures. The vendor will also oversee data collection and management, develop, and automate analytics models, and troubleshoot any issues that arise within the scope of the mobile app interface and data collection processes.”
“Purpose:
The purpose of this project is to develop a new mobile application in order to monitor peripheral markers of arousal, such as heart rate and heart rate variability using an Apple Watch and related smart phone technology. The data will monitor peripheral markers of arousal using Apple’s HealthKit, a repository designed for storing health-related data (e.g., activity, body measurements) collected from other apps. While the Apple Watch and iPhone each have its own HealthKit, data is synced between the two devices, so that Apple Watch specific features (e.g., heart rate) can be accessed on the paired smartphone. Therefore, by implementing both devices, researchers can seamlessly collect and store real-time heart rate and heart rate variability data via HealthKit…”
“Project Requirements:
The contractor designs and executes an application interface which collects and stores heart rate parameters for clinicians and researchers to review research participants’ data. Collected data will be stored in a secure data base, which adheres to the NIMH Division of Intramural Research Programs’ security specifications. The contractor will develop technology that interfaces between research participants and the data base, through EDB’s purchased mobile technology. EDB and the contractor will collaborate to analyze, design, and enhance the application. In addition to building on a prior contractor’s application interface, this contractor will also use Amazon Web Services and Apple Developer Program. Through a cloud portal, managed by the contractor, EDB will be able to manage app users, as well as view and analyze research participants’ data. Once ready to be disseminated, the contractor will continue to provide general app-related support and monitor the data platform. When completed, the contractor will distribute the final product and will keep providing ongoing support needs of the mobile app and monitor the full platform of data collection techniques…”
