Patients receiving care in clinics randomized to the intervention arm of the study and their primary care providers were presented with patient-specific written advice as to prioritized treatment and lifestyle changes that could reduce their cardiovascular risk, prompted by an electronic health record-based alert during their primary care visit.

Patients receiving care in clinics randomized to the usual care arm of the study and their providers were not presented with the prioritized clinical decision support.

After entry of blood pressure data at all primary care visits, relevant electronic health record data were automatically extracted, encrypted and processed through Web-based clinical algorithms that determined if the patient met intervention eligibility criteria. In intervention clinics, the rooming staff received a best practice alert and printed patient and primary care provider versions of the clinical decision support that identified evidence-based treatment options for any uncontrolled cardiovascular risk factors and prioritized treatment recommendations based on potential cardiovascular risk reduction. Cardiovascular risk factors addressed in study participants were control of lipids, blood pressure, weight, tobacco, glucose and appropriate aspirin use. In control clinics, rooming staff did not receive a best practice alert and patients and primary care providers did not receive and were not able to access the clinical decision support.

A modifiable risk component for each cardiovascular risk factor not at optimal goal at the time of each encounter was calculated as the difference between total 10-year atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease risk with the patient's actual values and the goal value. Total modifiable cardiovascular risk was calculated by summing the modifiable cardiovascula risk components across cardiovascular risk factors not at optimal goal at the time of the encounter, and was calculated for each enrolled patient at the index visit and each subsequent encounter during the intervention period. Annual rate of change in modifiable cardiovascular risk was estimated from all patient encounters. A comparison of the difference in model-estimated rate of change in modifiable cardiovascular risk at 12 months post-index tested the primary efficacy hypothesis.

Patients and their primary care providers were presented with patient-specific written instructions as to prioritized treatment and lifestyle changes that could reduce cardiovascular risk, prompted by an electronic health record-based alert during their primary care visits.

A modifiable risk component for each cardiovascular risk factor not at optimal goal at the time of each encounter was calculated as the difference between total 10-year atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease risk with the patient's actual values and the goal value. Total modifiable cardiovascular risk was calculated by summing the modifiable cardiovascula risk components across cardiovascular risk factors not at optimal goal at the time of the encounter, and was calculated for each enrolled patient at the index visit and each subsequent encounter during the intervention period. Annual rate of change in modifiable cardiovascular risk was estimated from all patient encounters. A comparison of the difference in model-estimated rate of change in modifiable cardiovascular risk at 12 months post-index tested the primary efficacy hypothesis.

The patients whose data were included in the primary outcome analysis met eligibility criteria, had an index visit at a randomized clinic at which they were eligible for the Cardiovascular Wizard intervention, and had at least one follow-up visit in a randomized primary care clinic.

Patients and providers were presented with patient-specific written advice as to prioritized treatment and lifestyle changes that could reduce their cardiovascular risk, prompted by an electronic health record based alert during their primary care visits.