The American College of Cardiology (ACC), Geisinger Health System and xG Health Solutions announced a new joint initiative to enhance the processes and outcomes of clinical care for patients with heart failure.

The three organizations will develop and implement a software application based on ACC's clinical practice guidelines (CPGs), Geisinger's renowned ProvenCare methodology and broad feedback received from ACC members.

The partnership builds on Geisinger's ProvenCare methodologies "in ensuring we provide high-quality care to every patient, every time through evidenced-based protocols," said David T. Feinberg, MD, MBA, president and CEO, in a release. 

The software application will provide clinicians with easy access to clinical practice guidelines and information on other best practices related to the management of congestive heart failure.

"The American College of Cardiology develops clinical guidelines to synthesize the best available scientific evidence to help the cardiovascular team provide the best care for their patients," said ACC Executive Vice President Science, Education and Quality William Oetgen, MD, FACC. "This project is another step in our efforts to develop technology to help clinicians access information when they need it to improve care. The app will interact with the National Cardiovascular Data Registry to provide actionable feedback to clinicians."

xG Health is a company Geisinger launched in 2013 to bring Geisinger innovations and know-how to a broader market. This application is the latest in a suite of clinical software apps the company developed.

"xG Health was one of the first to develop a software app that uses public APIs and standards in an EHR-agnostic manner," said xG Health CEO Earl Steinberg, MD, MPP. "The app we are developing with the ACC will enable changes in workflow and provision of clinical decision support in real time that will improve quality, safety and outcomes, save physicians time and reduce cost of care for patients with heart failure."