ITECHO HEALTH LIMITED

aQ

aQ is designed to facilitate the capture of information from patients/other user groups incorporating complex question structures, algorithms and AI to deliver actionable insights. aQ goes beyond a conventional survey tool - it is a comprehensive platform with a broad range of applications for health and social care.

Features

• Research participant mobile app and research staff web portal
• Simple or complex questionnaires and disease specific PROMS
• In-built symptom tracker that is configurable multiple research cohorts
• Dynamic data collection through advanced questionnaire scheduling
• Innovative branching logic to enable highly customised questionnaires
• In-platform questionnaire design and testing
• Import validated questionnaires for PROMS, PAM13 and others
• Assign specific calculations to participant responses and set alerts
• Review and track participant responses via interactive research management dashboard
• Configurable notifications and reminders to prompt research participants.

Benefits

• More convenient for patients/ research participants and research staff
• Improves the quality and cost-effectiveness of research/data collection
• Assess feedback and outcomes both individually and at scale
• Reduced costs for research budgets
• Bespoke data collection for broad health/social care applications
• Digitally inclusive platform with Mobile App and Web Compatibility
• User-friendly, intuitive interface co-designed with participants and researchers
• Meets all NHS interoperability standards

• Education pricing available
• Free trial available

Service documents

• Pricing document

  PDF

• Service definition document

  PDF

• Terms and conditions

  PDF

Request an accessible format

If you use assistive technology (such as a screen reader) and need versions of these documents in a more accessible format, email the supplier at adrian@itechohealth.com. Tell them what format you need. It will help if you say what assistive technology you use.

Framework

G-Cloud 15

Service ID

283242191966113

Contact

Adrian Brown
07843261566
adrian@itechohealth.com

About your service

• Service categories:

  Applications

  Collaborative

  • Team collaboration
• Multi cloud support: No

Service scope

• Software add-on or extension: No
• Cloud deployment model: Public cloud
• Service constraints: Users require a supported web browser and minimum specification devices.; ; Software requires one of following: Google Chrome web browser on a PC desktop or laptop; Safari web browser on an Apple iMac, MacBook, iPad or iPhone or an Android tablet or smartphone.
• System requirements:
  • Google Chrome web browser (Win7+, Android5.1+, MacOS 10.11+)
  • Apple Safari web browser (MacOS 10.12+, iOS 11.4+)
  • A reliable connection to the internet greater than 192kbps rate
  • Laptop, tablet or a smart phone

User support

• Email or online ticketing support: Yes
• Support response times: Operational hours (service hours) 24 x 7 x 365; ; Business support hours (service support hours) 8-6 Mon-Fri (except bank holidays)
• User can manage status and priority of support tickets: Yes
• Online ticketing support accessibility: WCAG 2.2 AA
• Phone support: Yes
• Phone support availability: 24 hours, 7 days a week
• Web chat support: Yes
• Web chat support availability: 9 to 5 (UK time), Monday to Friday
• Web chat support accessibility standard: WCAG 2.2 AA
• Web chat accessibility testing: We have test scenarios using an official WCAG2.1AA guidance and we are doing internal testing. No outside audit has been conducted yet.
• Onsite support: Yes, at extra cost
• Support levels: Itecho Health provides training for first line and second line support teams and then takes the 3rd line support calls. We also assist nominated Primary Support Contacts once a range of common, typically local, causes have been ruled out.; ; If an issue cannot be resolved locally, or by the customer organisation's IT support using the resources available, Itecho Health provide a service desk that nominated Primary Support Contacts can access.
• Support available to third parties: Yes
• AI chatbot: No

Onboarding and offboarding

• Getting started: We provide training to the staff team, online videos and user documentation. For patients/participants online videos, chat support and user documentation is available for the application.
• Service documentation: Yes
• Documentation formats:
  • HTML
  • PDF
• End-of-contract data extraction: On contract expiry the data can be downloaded in CSV format for up to 30 days following contract expiration.
• End-of-contract process: Extraction of data, any support needed for transition and any queries in the transition period are included in the price. Any request over and above standard data extraction will be at an additional cost.
• Documentation accessibility standard: WCAG 2.2 A

Using the service

• Web browser interface: Yes
• Supported browsers:
  • Microsoft Edge
  • Firefox
  • Chrome
  • Safari
• Application to install: Yes
• Compatible operating systems:
  • Android
  • IOS
  • MacOS
  • Windows
• Designed for use on mobile devices: Yes
• Differences between the mobile and desktop service: No material difference except that layout changes to suit the screen format.
• Service interface: Yes
• User support accessibility: WCAG 2.2 A
• Description of service interface: All service and administration is accessed via the management console web page. This is accessed by the original administrator who can delegate access.
• Accessibility standards: WCAG 2.2 AA
• Accessibility testing: Itecho Health has a vision of digital health accessible for all. A formal accessibility assessment has not been conducted on the most recent version of the management console. The console employs components that have accessibility support as outlined in web content requirements.
• API: Yes
• What users can and can't do using the API: Most configuration aspects of the aQ Web Application can be accessed via the API.; Developers can enable their applications or integrations to access the API using credentials with the appropriate access levels to the target configuration. HTTPS REST calls with JSON payload are supported.
• API documentation: Yes
• API documentation formats:
  • Open API (also known as Swagger)
  • HTML
• API sandbox or test environment: Yes
• Customisation available: Yes
• Description of customisation: Itecho Health's approach is to ensure that aQ is customised to for individual services, research projects and customers whilst using a core platform to minimise the time and cost to make changes. We use a co-design approach with patients/participants and staff/researchers to ensure that our products meet user needs and expectations. Generic PROMs and disease specific PROMs and bespoke questionnaires can be be added either after being supplied to Itecho Health or constructed by the customer in the user application. For minor changes customers can quickly customise many aspects including branding, messaging provided to patients/participants, support contacts, patient/participant information, opening hours and their is a frequently asked questions area of the staff/researcher portal which can then be populated so that this information appears in the patient/participant user application.

Scaling

• Independence of resources: AQ is a AWS based platform and has mechanism built-in to increase capacity based on increase in usage

Analytics

• Service usage metrics: Yes
• Metrics types: Total number of participants actively using the application;; number of questionnaires completed for each survey;; total number of staff members using the application;; dashboard of service status and uptime of application and; any other bespoke reports needed.
• Reporting types:
  • API access
  • Real-time dashboards
  • Regular reports
  • Reports on request
• Resource tagging: No
• FOCUS resource tagging: No

Resellers

• Supplier type: Not a reseller

Staff security

• Staff security clearance: Other security clearance
• Government security clearance: Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS)

Asset protection

• Knowledge of data storage and processing locations: Yes
• Data storage and processing locations: United Kingdom
• User control over data storage and processing locations: Yes
• Datacentre security standards: Complies with a recognised standard (for example CSA CCM version 4.0)
• Penetration testing frequency: At least every 6 months
• Penetration testing approach: Another external penetration testing organisation
• Protecting data at rest: Physical access control, complying with CSA CCM v4.0
• Data sanitisation process: Yes
• Equipment disposal approach: Complying with a recognised standard, for example CSA CCM v4.0, CAS (Sanitisation) or ISO/IEC 27001
• Data sanitisation type: Deleted data can’t be directly accessed / Cryptographic Erasure

Data importing and exporting

• Data export approach: Users assigned Administrator or Reporter roles for Customer Organisation, have access to standard reports in CSV format aggregated for all of their assigned entities, via the web application interface.
• Data export formats: CSV
• Data import formats: CSV

Data-in-transit protection

• Data protection between buyer and supplier networks: TLS (version 1.2 or above)
• Data protection within supplier network: TLS (version 1.2 or above)

Availability and resilience

• Guaranteed availability: The service availability is based on the aggregate SLAs of the service components from the underlying cloud hosting provider. This is 99.95%.; ; No refund scheme is currently in place.
• Approach to resilience: The system is provided as a resilient, high availability service.; Underlying infrastructure is provided by accredited cloud providers, with redundant and resilient internet connections and local utilities.; The system is designed for continuity with resilience to both site and component failures.; Redundant sets of components are deployed into geographically-separated sites. These redundant components are configured for cross-communication, so that if a component fails in a given zone, its functions will be fulfilled by surviving components in another site.; The design is scalable with additional component units able to be added for resilience and capacity.
• Outage reporting: The following outage reporting methods are employed:; - Publicly Accessible Service Status Dashboard on the patient app, clinician app will show the outage; - API available for individual component status; - Email alerts to nominated Customer Contacts

Identity and authentication

• User authentication needed: Yes
• User authentication:
  • Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA)
  • Username or password
• Access restrictions in management interfaces and support channels: New users need to be registered to our aQ system as a valid user, once the user is registered they need to use two factor authentication to sign in.
• Access restriction testing frequency: At least every 6 months
• Management access authentication:
  • Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA)
  • Username or password

Audit information for users

• Access to user activity audit information: Users contact the support team to get audit information
• How long user audit data is stored for: At least 12 months
• Access to supplier activity audit information: Users contact the support team to get audit information
• How long supplier audit data is stored for: At least 12 months
• How long system logs are stored for: Between 1 month and 6 months

Security governance

• Named board-level person responsible for service security: Yes
• Security governance certified: Yes
• Security governance standards: CSA CSM version 4.0
• Information security policies and processes: A comprehensive set of policies covering implementation and management controls across the following aspects: Access and Authorisation Control; Network and Data Encryption; Network Ingress/Egress; Centralised Event; Logging and Alerting; Systems Hardening; Data Protection and Retention; Intrusion Protection/Detection; Malware and Virus Protection; Patch Management; Solution Design Assurance; Vulnerability Assessment; Incident Management and Solution and Systems Development; ; Systems design and implementation documentation is delivered to the standard required for effective realisation of security controls. Security Controls implemented in technical domain are unit and integration tested for impact and effectiveness. The IT Operations Manager is responsible for ongoing monitoring of systems and procedural aspects relating to security policy enforcement and or detection of exceptions and/or violations. An ISO compliant Documentation Control System is used. Internal Policy Approvals are the responsibility of Senior Management team including the CTO and CEO.
• Software Security Code of Practice: Yes

Operational security

• Configuration and change management standard: Complies with a recognised standard, for example CSA CCM v4.0 or SSAE-18 / ISAE 3402
• Configuration and change management approach: The Software and Systems development lifecycle is mature with clear boundaries between phases and activities and individual assignment and accounting for activity at each phase.; ; Quality Assurance Scope and test case specification and execution are tracked and reported in functional and regression testing.; ; Continuous Integration, Continuous Delivery and Test automation is in place to ensure repeatable, consistent and robust deployment.; ; Role separation for QA sign-off, authority to deploy and deployment execution.; ; All software and systems development steps are tracked in issue management system which incorporates approval gates and sign-off of impact, risk and rollback steps.
• Vulnerability management type: Complies with a recognised standard, for example CSA CCM v4.0 or SSAE-18 / ISAE 3402
• Vulnerability management approach: Infrastructure and application assurance, employs a suite of standard security testing tools.; ; Regular external-facing testing is performed to ensure infrastructure attack surface-area complies with the design and deployment specifications.; ; Server configuration and software versions are audited against currently-known vulnerabilities.; ; Application server systems protection with an automated system vulnerability assessment and virtual patching providing automatic update of protection modules for newly discovered vulnerabilities even before operating system or vendor patches are available.; ; The application hosting environment is audited for any inadvertent misconfiguration.; ; Third-party-contracted testing is performed in concert with key stakeholders.
• Protective monitoring type: Complies with a recognised standard, for example CSA CCM v4.0 or SSAE-18 / ISAE 3402
• Protective monitoring approach: Web Application Firewall with comprehensive OWASP Top 10 coverage; ; On host intrusion protection and detection system: Alerts are configured so that system administrators are informed when events occur which require immediate action or investigation. Major event alerts trigger delivery of email. Critical events trigger alert via AWS SNS with higher priority email and SMS to designated phones.; ; Daily Reports are delivered to System Administrators which cover: summary of all system and subsystems events; all firewall events; all integrity monitoring events and all log inspection events.; ; Identified incidents are correlated with system wide log/events.
• Incident management type: Complies with a recognised standard, for example, CSA CCM v4.0 or ISO/IEC 27035:2011 or SSAE-18 / ISAE 3402
• Incident management approach: Responsible support staff are alerted to intrusion detection, component failures and above threshold metrics.; ; A Service Desk is available for logging of incidents, with ticket confirmation reported via email.; ; Incident resolutions are logged and add to knowledge base for most effective future responses.; ; Centralised log collection and analysis allows rapid analysis of system errors or attack vectors and forensics.; ; Post Incident Review will be conducted with root cause analysis reported to CTO.; ; The CTO is responsible for reporting and rectifying security weaknesses and instigating control improvements based on lessons learned.
• Post-quantum cryptography secure: Yes

Secure development

• Approach to secure software development best practice: Conforms to a recognised standard, but self-assessed

Public sector networks

• Connection to public sector networks: Yes
• Connected networks: Health and Social Care Network (HSCN)

Pricing

• Discount for educational organisations: Yes
• Free trial available: Yes
• Description of free trial: We can work with your team to organise a trial period or pilot to demonstrate the effectiveness and usability of the service. We can include patients/participants and staff/researchers in the trial. The trial is for an initial 30 days with extension following mutual agreement.

Discount percentage by annual call-off contract value (excluding VAT)

• Less than £250,000: 0%
• Between £250,000 and £500,000: 0%
• Between £500,001 and £1,000,000: 0%
• Between £1,000,001 and £2,500,000: 0%
• Between £2,500,001 and £5,000,000: 0%
• Over £5,000,001: 0%

Non-mandatory Standards and certifications

• ISO/IEC 27001 certification: No
• ISO 28000:2022 certification: No
• ISO 9001 certification: No
• Quality management systems (QMS): Yes
• CSA STAR certification: No
• PCI certification: No
• Cyber essentials: Yes
• Please provide your Cyber Essentials Certificate Number: B8f7e960-b56c-471a-8433-07ed685db571
• Cyber essentials plus: No
• Cyber Essentials Alternative: None of the criteria
• Other security certifications: No

Social value

• Section B - Commitment for Future: Delivery:

  • Mission: Kick start economic growth. To secure the highest sustained growth in the G7 - with good jobs and productivity growth in every part of the country making everyone, not just a few, better off.

    Policy Outcome 1: Fair work: That offers fair wages and good working conditions. Help people get a job, stay in work, and progress in their careers, with good employment opportunities across the country. Notes: Where there is a large proportion of labour costs in the contract, commercial teams should consider MAC in Outcome 1 as a priority

    • New or retained jobs on the contract workforce in the relevant area that meet the criteria set out in MAC 1b, 1c and 1d
    • Providing opportunities for, and measuring and monitoring of, staff workforce conditions over time, including employee engagement, involvement in decision-making and satisfaction and adapting to any changes in the results, with clear processes for acting on issues identified
    • Plans to engage the contract workforce in deciding the most important workplace issues to address
    • Ensuring new workers are informed of their right to join a trade union
    • Monitoring of employee engagement rates (by protected characteristic) and, where necessary, the development of actions to ensure all voices are heard across the diversity of the workforce
    • Employment contracts that reflect actual hours worked; steps taken to ensure employees understand their contracts and have the ability to review and adjust them if actual hours regularly exceed contracted hours
    • Activities that support an environment where staff are educated about, and feel empowered to, address their physical wellbeing
    • Activities that support an environment where staff are educated about and feel empowered to report and address bullying and harassment
    • Activities to cascade good practice on fair working conditions throughout the supply chain
    • Payment of more than the National Minimum Wage or National Living Wage (as appropriate) to the contract workforce
    • Monitoring and reporting of gender and ethnicity pay gaps and plans to address them where necessary
    • Plans for an appropriate income replacement policy for staff who are required to spend time away from work to care for a sick dependent or close relative
    • Understanding of in-work progression issues affecting the market, industry or sector relevant to the contract, and in the supplier’s own organisation and those of its key sub-contractors
    • Measures to support in-work progression to help people in the contract workforce, to move into higher paid work by developing new skills relevant to the contract
    • Support for the contract workforce by providing career advice, and providing opportunities for staff working on the contract with in-work progression career development into known skills shortages or high growth areas
    • Support for educational attainment relevant to the contract, including training schemes that address skills gaps and result in recognised qualifications
    • Volunteering opportunities for staff
    • Understanding of the modern slavery risks and issues affecting the market, industry, sector or country (of origin or of source) relevant to the contract, and the workforce in the supplier’s own organisation and those of its key subcontractors
    • Measures to identify, mitigate and manage modern slavery risks relating to the contract and how these will be implemented
    • Outline policies and practices to be applied to or put in place for the contract to mitigate and manage modern slavery risks, including: Pre-employment checks, recruitment practices. Workplace conditions, safeguarding plans and processes in place and regular monitoring with relevant groups considered, which may include sampling
    • How these flow down the supply chain and are monitored Illustrative examples include reporting, site visits, audits, etc.
    • How to ensure business decisions re: price/cost, short lead times, payment timescales do not create modern slavery risks in the supply chain
    • How the supplier will work with NGOs, trade unions or other businesses to address modern slavery risk
    • Means of influencing staff, suppliers, customers, communities and/or any other appropriate stakeholders with respect to modern slavery risks relating to the contract

  • Mission: Kick start economic growth. To secure the highest sustained growth in the G7 - with good jobs and productivity growth in every part of the country making everyone, not just a few, better off.

    Policy Outcome 2: Skills for growth: Supporting growth sectors and addressing skills gaps.

    • Understanding of employment and relevant skills issues, and of the education and training issues relating to the contract. Illustrative examples: demographics, skills shortages, new opportunities in high growth sectors, geographic/local community and skills/employment challenges
    • Support for educational attainment relevant to the contract, including training schemes that address skills gaps and result in recognised qualifications
    • Activities to support relevant sector related skills growth and sustainability in the contract workforce. Illustrative examples: careers talks, curriculum support, literacy support, safety talks and volunteering
    • Delivery of apprenticeships, supported internships and T Level industry placement opportunities (Level 2, 3 and 4+) in relation to the contract

  • Mission: Kick start economic growth. To secure the highest sustained growth in the G7 - with good jobs and productivity growth in every part of the country making everyone, not just a few, better off.

    Policy Outcome 3: Resilient, innovative and flexible supply chains: Support economic growth through enabling resilient businesses, opportunities for small businesses and voluntary, community and social enterprises

    • Understanding of the types of businesses in the market and the level of participation by new businesses, entrepreneurs, start-ups, SMEs, VCSEs and mutuals
    • Activities to identify opportunities to open up sub-contracts under the prime contract to a diverse range of businesses, including new businesses, entrepreneurs, start-ups, SMEs, VCSEs and mutuals
    • Plans for engaging a diverse range of businesses in engagement activities prior to appointing subcontractors (including activities prior to award of the main contract and during the contract term)
    • Activities that demonstrate a collaborative way to work with a diverse range of businesses as part of the supply chain
    • Advertising of supply chain opportunities openly and to ensure they are accessible to a diverse range of businesses, including advertising all subcontracting opportunities on Contracts Finder
    • Ensuring accessibility to contracting and subcontracting opportunities for disabled business owners and employees
    • Structuring of the supply chain selection process to ensure fairness (e.g. anti-corruption) and encourages participation by a diverse range of businesses, including with regard to new businesses, entrepreneurs, start-ups, SMEs, VCSEs and mutual
    • Understanding of local demographics, needs and opportunities for the co-design of the goods, services and works to be delivered under the contract
    • Methods for engaging with different parts of the community (including the education system and charities representing the community) and how communities come together to inform decisions, strategy and projects to leave a positive legacy for future generations
    • Measures to involve local stakeholders and/or users in design (e.g. in the design of services, systems, products or buildings)
    • Plans for positive actions with community groups.
    • Measures to engage users and communities and build relationships to increase community integration build trust and influence how the contract is delivered
    • Plans to respond flexibly and adapt approaches to community engagement and initiatives
    • Support for community-led initiatives relevant to the contract. Illustrative examples: improving transport links; reducing loneliness; helping with English language proficiency; and facilitating social mixing among people with different backgrounds
    • Collaborating with anchor institutions and community groups to make facilities available for education, training or community events

  • Mission: Make Britain a clean energy superpower: To cut bills, create jobs and deliver security with cheaper, zero-carbon electricity by 2030, accelerating to net zero

    Policy Outcome 4: Sustainable procurement practices: Reducing carbon footprints, minimising waste, and promoting the use of clean energy and green technologies.

    • Understanding of opportunities for additional environmental benefits delivery in the performance of the contract, including working towards net zero carbon emissions and use of clean energy and green technologies
    • Collaborative ways of working with the supply chain to deliver additional environmental benefits in the performance of the contract, including working towards net zero carbon emissions and use of clean energy and green technologies
    • Delivery of additional environmental benefits through the performance of the contract, including working towards net zero carbon emissions and use of clean energy and green technologies
    • Understanding of how to influence staff, suppliers, customers, communities and/or any other appropriate stakeholders through the delivery of the contract to support climate and nature protection and improvement
    • Activities to reconnect people with the environment and increase awareness of ways to protect and enhance it

  • Mission: Break down barriers to opportunity: By reforming our childcare and education systems, to make sure there is no class ceiling on the ambitions of young people in Britain

    Policy Outcome 6: Employment and training: For those who face barriers to employment

    • Understanding of employment and skills issues, and of the skills and employment shortages of high growth sectors relating to the contract
    • Creation of employment opportunities particularly for those who face barriers to employment, such as prison leavers, care leavers and/or who are located in deprived areas, and for people in industries with known skills shortages or in high growth sectors
    • Delivery of training schemes and programmes to address any identified skills gaps and under-representation in the workforce for the contract (e.g. prison leavers, care leavers, kinship carers, disabled people)
    • Understanding of the issues affecting the representation of disabled people in the workforce in the market, industry or sector relevant to the contract, and in the supplier’s own organisation and those of its key sub-contractors
    • Collection of the views and expertise of disabled people and their representative organisations on successfully supporting disabled employees or applicants
    • Inclusive and accessible recruitment practices, and retention-focused activities, including those provided in the Guide for line managers on recruiting, managing and developing people with a disability or health condition
    • Introducing transparency to pay and reward processes
    • Offering a range of quality opportunities with routes of progression if appropriate, e.g. T Level industry placements, students supported into higher level apprenticeships.
    • Working conditions which promote an inclusive working environment and promote retention and progression
    • Other measures to provide equality of opportunity for disabled people and those with health conditions into employment, including becoming a Disability Confident employer and inclusion of supported businesses in the contract supply chain
    • Understanding of the issues affecting inequality in employment, skills and pay in the market, industry or sector relevant to the contract, and in the supplier’s own organisation and those of its key sub-contractors. Measures to tackle inequality in employment, skills and pay in the contract workforce
    • Inclusive and accessible development practices, including guidance for line managers on recruiting, managing and developing people with a disability or health condition

  • Mission: Break down barriers to opportunity: By reforming our childcare and education systems, to make sure there is no class ceiling on the ambitions of young people in Britain

    Policy Outcome 7: Creating a pipeline of opportunities: For the contract workforce, reducing barriers to entry for under-represented groups.

    • Understanding of the issues affecting the development of new skills by target cohort
    • Understanding of the underlying factors affecting improvements to reduce barriers to entry and training schemes for the target cohort(s) related to the contract workforce
    • Other measures to offer development opportunities for the target cohort(s) in the contract workforce
    • Understanding of issues relating to entering the contract workforce
    • Creation of outreach activities to create a pipeline of employees for the future contract delivery
    • Content of the outreach activity is designed to suit the target cohort

  • Mission: Build an NHS fit for the future: That is there when people need it; with fewer lives lost to the biggest killers; in a fairer Britain, where everyone lives well for longer.

    Policy Outcome 8: Increasing productivity through physical and mental wellbeing: In the supply chain and communities in the relevant area.

    • Understanding of issues relating to health and wellbeing, including physical and mental health, in the contract workforce
    • Understanding barriers to access to health and social care services or employment opportunities e.g. digital inclusion
    • Inclusive and accessible recruitment practices, development practices and retention policies that support-focused activities including those provided in the Guide for line managers on recruiting, managing and developing which support people with a disability or health condition

Service documents

• Pricing document

  PDF

• Service definition document

  PDF

• Terms and conditions

  PDF

Request an accessible format

If you use assistive technology (such as a screen reader) and need versions of these documents in a more accessible format, email the supplier at adrian@itechohealth.com. Tell them what format you need. It will help if you say what assistive technology you use.