The U.S. Department of Health and Humans Services has launched a new challenge to use electronic health records and other health IT to prevent hypertension.
The "EHR Innovations for Improving Hypertension Challenge," which is asking healthcare professionals and other caregivers to submit clinical decision support tools they use to improve patient care, is part of the Million Hearts Initiative to prevent 1 million heart attacks and strokes by 2017. There will be up to four winners of Phase 1 of the challenge, in which practices will document how their EHRs are used to implement an evidence-based blood pressure control protocol.
In Phase 2, practices and their partners will conduct, evaluate and document dissemination strategies for the tools recognized in Phase 1; a practice will need at least two additional practices involved to qualify.
Phase 1 winners will receive $5,000 each; the Phase 2 winner will receive $30,000. The deadline for submission is Oct. 6 and winners will be announced Oct. 28. Announcement