The HHS announced a challenge to find the best practices for improving hypertension through health information technology (IT). The Electronic Health Records Innovations for Improving Hypertension Challenge, launched by the Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT, is asking health care professionals to submit the tools they use to improve patient care.
Many health care providers use clinical decision support tools such as standardized treatment approaches or protocols to control hypertension, said National Coordinator for Health IT Karen DeSalvo, MD, MPH, in a July 7, 2014, HHS press release. “This challenge helps us find the best examples of those efforts and scale them up.” Evidence-based treatment protocols provide a “playbook for providers to guide their selection of effective therapies for blood pressure control,” HHS said.
The challenge is part of the Million Hearts initiative led by CDC and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Million Hearts brings together communities, health systems, nonprofit organizations, federal agencies, and private-sector partners, all with the goal of preventing 1 million heart attacks and strokes by 2017.
“We are excited that with this challenge we will be able to share the best practices that many physicians and their teams are using,” said Executive Director of Million Hearts Janet Wright, MD. “Our goal of preventing a million heart attacks and strokes in 5 years can happen by helping at least 10 million more hypertensive patients achieve safe and swift control.”
The deadline for submissions is October 6, 2014. Winners will be announced on October 28, 2014. For more information, visit http://challenge.sites.usa.gov/challenge/ehr-innovations-for-improving-hypertension-challenge.
