New AI-backed technology yields superior results for diagnosis of heart valve disease

MedTech & Diagnostics News: An AI-backed technology developed to improve the accuracy and speed of diagnosis in cardiovascular health can effectively identify patients with and at risk of aortic stenosis (AS), according to a new clinical trial conducted at St. Vincent’s Hospital Sydney and Melbourne.

The study, funded by Edwards Lifesciences, revealed that EchoSolv was able to identify 72% more patients with severe aortic stenosis than those identified with human diagnosis alone.

The study also revealed a gender bias in the way women had been identified and earmarked for treatment. While similar proportions of men and women had severe aortic stenosis, women were 66% less likely to have been accurately diagnosed than men using human-only assessment. Interestingly, EchoSolv was effective in identifying disease without this gender bias. These results highlight the potential of this AI-backed software to be a valuable tool for medical professionals in the accurate diagnosis and treatment of aortic stenosis.

Professor Michael Feneley AM and Professor David Playford both commented on the potential of the AI platform to help improve diagnosis and the opportunities it presents to treat patients in a highly consistent and efficient manner.

“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,” said Professor Feneley, Director of the Heart Lung Program and Cardiology at St Vincent’s Hospital.

Professor David Playford, AI and medical technology company Echo IQ’s Chief Medical Advisor, added “The EchoSolv clinical decision-support platform is the first in the world to show such a clear improvement in detecting severe aortic stenosis compared with current clinical practice. We expect the automatic highlighting of patients with significant aortic stenosis risk using EchoSolv to assist doctors in decision-making for aortic valve intervention and follow-up in a highly consistent, systematic and efficient manner. Our goal is to support improved diagnosis free of unconscious bias and irrespective of age, gender, background or socioeconomic status. These findings are a significant step towards Echo IQ’s goal of assisting doctors in finding the right patients, every time, for the right intervention for heart valve disease.”

The software was able to identify 376 patients with guideline-defined severe aortic stenosis and an additional 174 patients with aortic stenosis who fell outside diagnostic guidelines but showed significant risk of dying from the disease. It was also able to categorise patients in a way that supports healthcare facilities to better allocate resources and prioritise patients for additional review and/or treatment consideration.

Andrew Grover, Executive Chair of EchoSolv noted that the results of this important clinical trial clearly demonstrate how valuable the technology could be when integrated into clinical practice, and that the solution is ready for deployment to reduce this diagnosis gap.

“We see a broad range of groups who stand to benefit from the capabilities of EchoSolv. First and foremost are the patients who may benefit from more timely and efficient diagnosis of a potentially life-threatening but treatable condition. Hospitals and clinicians using the technology have potential for improved health outcomes for their patients as well as reduced risks associated with misdiagnosis. Medical device manufacturers, such as replacement valve manufacturers, could potentially see an increase in suitable recipients for their proven therapies,” he said

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