The ONC, in collaboration with the CDC, has launched the EHR Innovations for Improving Hypertension Challenge to accelerate improvement on the Million Hearts® “B” strategy – Blood Pressure Control.The goal is to is to gather specific descriptions of health IT tools and approaches used by individual practices to implement an evidence-based blood pressure (BP) treatment protocol that has led to improvement in practice-wide blood pressure control (Phase 1), and identify models for quickly and widely spreading these to other practices (Phase 2). A comprehensive clinical decision support (CDS) approach supports these five protocol elements:
2. Blood pressure follow-up
3. Initiation and titration of medications
4. Patient engagement
5. Workup/referral for poor control
In Phase 1 (three months), practices will document the electronic health record (EHR) tools they used to implement an evidence-based BP control protocol, as well as describe the details and results of the implementation. Practices must demonstrate high BP control levels and/or improvement to ensure that tools and strategies merit replication across practice settings.In Phase 2 (nine months), practices and their partners will conduct, evaluate and document dissemination strategies for tools recognized in Phase 1, emphasizing widespread, effective use of these tools by other practices. Submitters must demonstrate successful use of these tools in at least two additional practices.
Phase 1 will have up to four winners, each of whom will receive a $5,000 prize. Phase 2 will have a single winner of a $30,000 prize. Honorable Mention designations will be given for other Phase 1 submitters who provide CDS tools that reviewers select for Phase 2 dissemination efforts, and for other Phase 2 submitters with commendable CDS tool dissemination and implementation strategies. Both phases will recognize submitters in different categories such as practice type and size, based on the submissions received.
What makes this ONC challenge unique? According to the ONC statement, it taps the expertise of clinicians who care for patients with hypertension and are using health IT to improve their control. Second, the challenge is designed to promote the scalability of critical tools for maximum impact and reach.
To find out more or participate in this exciting challenge, visitChallenge.gov. In addition, ONC will be hosting an informational webinar on August 6 at 3:00 pm Eastern – you can learn more and register at http://bit.ly/1jgNBEK 
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