# Dissemination and Implementation of QT Risk Clinical Decision Support

> **NIH AHRQ R18** · UTAH STATE HIGHER EDUCATION SYSTEM--UNIVERSITY OF UTAH · 2020 · $314,054

## Abstract

Project Summary: Dissemination and Implementation of QT Risk Clinical Decision Support.
 Clinical decision support (CDS) for electronic health records (EHR) and prescribing systems has been
promoted to improve patient outcomes. Torsades de Pointes (TdP), is a life-threatening arrhythmia
associated with the prolongation of the heart rate-corrected QT (QTc) interval on the electrocardiogram (ECG).
Specifically, TdP is polymorphic ventricular tachycardia preceded by QTc prolongation and usually manifesting
as short bursts of ventricular contractions between 160 and 250 beats per minute that occur in rapid
succession. A QTc Risk Score (QTc-RS) CDS can calculate the risk for QTc prolongation and assist doctors
and other healthcare providers in mitigating the risk of TdP.
 The central hypothesis of this project is that the dissemination and implementation of a CDS algorithm
incorporating the QTc-RS will result in fewer instances of drug-induced prolonged QTc interval, reduce the
number of excessive lengths of stay and potentially lead to fewer sudden cardiac deaths. This proposal
describes a health information technology research project aimed at the dissemination and
implementation of the QTc-RS in a non-profit network of 28 facilities located in five western states that
serve rural and urban communities. These facilities are located in regions of the Rocky Mountain west that
have a high proportion of underserved American Indian, Latino, and economically disadvantaged populations.
We will accomplish our objectives by pursuing the following aims: Aim 1: Adapt, implement, and disseminate a
QTc-RS CDS in rural and urban facilities across varying acuity levels within inpatient care facilities;
Aim 2: Develop and deliver an educational program on QTc interval prolongation, Torsades de Pointes, and
the QTc interval prolongation risk score CDS to health professionals practicing in in-patient environments;
Aim 3: Evaluate the effectiveness of a QTc-RS clinical decision support with respect to process changes within
facilities, patient focused clinical outcomes, and end-user satisfaction.
 The proposed project will reduce the risk of QTc prolongation among vulnerable patients while
simultaneously ensuring that providers are not overburdened with irrelevant warnings. We recognize that
successful CDS implementation requires education and ongoing support. The educational aspects of this
project will provide context and rationale for the risk score using a multi-faceted program that will ensure that
dissemination and implementation is long-lasting. This project will greatly improve patient safety and improve
health care processes by incorporating real-time contextual factors into evidence-based and validated alert
algorithms that meet the five “rights” of meaningful CDS. In summary, the project supports the mission of the
Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality by improving the quality of healthcare and enhancing patient
safety in rural, underserved, and minori...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9901452
- **Project number:** 5R18HS026662-03
- **Recipient organization:** UTAH STATE HIGHER EDUCATION SYSTEM--UNIVERSITY OF UTAH
- **Principal Investigator:** DANIEL C MALONE
- **Activity code:** R18 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** AHRQ
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $314,054
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2019-04-01 → 2022-03-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9901452

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9901452, Dissemination and Implementation of QT Risk Clinical Decision Support (5R18HS026662-03). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9901452. Licensed CC0.

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