Australian Echo IQ has released results from a recent study demonstrating the potential of its artificial intelligence (AI) decision support software, EchoSolv, which aims to improve the diagnosis of aortic stenosis (AS).
Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death worldwide. AS is one of the most common forms of heart valve disease.
AS is the narrowing of the heart’s aortic valve through which all blood to the body flows. If undiagnosed and left undertreated, AS can make it harder for the heart to pump blood to the aorta and through the body resulting in heart damage, major health problems and even death.
EchoSolv uses AI to assess echocardiographic measurements. A study recently completed at St Vincent's Hospital (Sydney and Melbourne) showed that 72 per cent more patients with severe AS were identified when EchoSolv was used to assess patient records versus current clinical practice of using human diagnosis alone.
The director cardiology and heart lung program at St Vincent's Hospital, Professor Michael Feneley, said, “This study clearly demonstrates not only the effectiveness of novel technologies such as EchoSolv in enhancing human diagnosis, but also its potential to reduce bias in decision making. With the general ageing of the population leading to the increasing prevalence of aortic stenosis, it is encouraging to see how artificial intelligence could be used to improve the identification of disease and all the increased opportunities to treat patients in a timely manner this provides.”