Computerized Decision Support for Identification and Management of Familial Hypercholesterolemia

Alert-Based Computerized Decision Support for Identification and Management of Patients With Familial Hypercholesterolemia (FH-ALERT Trial)

The goal of this clinical trial is to learn if a computer alert can aid clinicians in identifying patients with a genetic type of high cholesterol, called Familial Hypercholesterolemia. The main question it aims to answer is whether the computer alert increases recognition of this high cholesterol disorder.

FH-ALERT is a single-center, time-series trial of a patient- and provider-facing EPIC BPA (alert-based CDS tool) to increase diagnosis, LDL-C lowering, and guideline-based therapy of outpatients with presentations consistent with FH. For the first 6 months, the BPA will run in "silent mode", identifying patients with presentations consistent with FH, but not alerting the clinician of record. Following this initial "pre-alert" 6-month period, the BPA will switch to "alert mode" for 18 months, which will provide the on-screen notification to the clinician of record. In other words, consecutive outpatients with presentations consistent with FH will be enrolled over two years: "pre-alert" (silent mode) for 6 months and "alert mode" for 18 months.

Inclusion Criteria:

• ≥ 18 years old
• seen in the BWH Endocrinology, Cardiovascular Medicine, and Primary Care Clinics
• Dutch Lipid Clinic Network score of at least 3 points

Exclusion Criteria:

• a Familial Hypercholesterolemia diagnosis already documented in the EHR medical history, visit history, or problem list