The Office of the National Coordinator this week announced the the release of its Million Hearts EHR Optimization Guides, which aim to help health systems put their EHRs to work identifying at-risk patients to protect them from cardiovascular events.

The national Million Hearts initiative aims to prevent 1 million heart attacks and strokes by 2017.  But many healthcare providers have said they need help in maximizing their electronic health record functionality to participate in the program and offer top-quality care.

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With step-by-step instructions, the guides direct clinicians how to use their EHRs to find and improve data on the so-called ABCs: aspirin therapy when appropriate; blood pressure control; cholesterol management; smoking cessation.

"Ultimately, these guides facilitate the timely and systematic identification of at-risk patients, helping clinical teams across the country protect their patients from heart attacks, strokes, and other cardiovascular events," wrote ONC Chief Medical Officer Thomas A. Mason, MD, in a blog post.

"In showcasing these guides, we would like to encourage all EHR vendors to collaborate with ONC on developing additional Million Hearts EHR Optimization Guides," he added. Access the guides for Allscripts, Cerner and more here.

Twitter: @MikeMiliardHITN