A groundbreaking clinical cohort study conducted at St Vincent’s Hospital Melbourne and St Vincent’s Hospital Sydney has revealed significant advancements in the diagnosis of severe aortic stenosis, a life-threatening cardiac condition. The study, funded by Edwards Lifesciences (NYSE:EW), utilized EchoSolv, an innovative AI-powered diagnostic-decision support software developed by Echo IQ. EchoSolv demonstrated exceptional capabilities, identifying 72% more patients with severe aortic stenosis compared to conventional human diagnosis methods. Furthermore, it successfully removed unconscious gender bias in diagnosis, ensuring more accurate and equitable healthcare for all patients.
In the study, researchers analyzed 9,189 patient echocardiograms, which were reviewed by cardiology teams at both hospitals. Initially, routine clinical care diagnosed 218 individuals (2.4% of the study group) with guideline-defined severe aortic stenosis. However, when EchoSolv was applied to the same group, it identified a staggering 376 individuals (4.1% of the study group) with severe aortic stenosis as per guidelines. This implies that EchoSolv accurately identified an additional 72% of patients with severe aortic stenosis who had not been diagnosed by routine clinical practice alone.
The study also brought to light the presence of unconscious gender bias in conventional diagnosis. Women were 66% less likely to receive accurate diagnoses of severe aortic stenosis compared to men when relying on human-only assessments. EchoSolv, on the other hand, proved to be unbiased and impartial in identifying patients, regardless of their gender. Moreover, even when women were identified with severe aortic stenosis, they were 50% less likely to receive intervention compared to men. EchoSolv's unbiased identification of disease emphasizes the need for equitable healthcare practices.
St Vincent’s director of Heart Lung Program and Cardiology, Professor Michael Feneley stated, “With the general aging of the population leading to an increasing prevalence of aortic stenosis, it is encouraging to see how artificial intelligence could be used to improve the identification of disease and increase the opportunities to treat patients in a timely manner.”
Additionally, EchoSolv's unique ability to categorize patients into low-risk and significant-risk groups (94% and 1.9% of the study population, respectively) has the potential to streamline healthcare resource allocation. This feature enables healthcare facilities to prioritize patients who require immediate review and consideration for treatment.
Echo IQ’s Chief Medical Advisor, Professor David Playford said EchoSolv was the first decision-support platform in the world to show improved detection of severe aortic stenosis compared with current clinical practice.
“We expect the automatic highlighting of patients with significant aortic stenosis risk using EchoSolv will assist doctors in decision-making for aortic valve intervention and follow-up in a consistent, systematic and efficient manner,” he said.
“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 our goal of assisting doctors in finding the right patients, every time, for the right intervention for heart valve disease.”
Severe aortic stenosis is a critical condition that restricts blood flow from the heart to the aorta, resulting in life-threatening consequences if left untreated. The success of the EchoSolv clinical trial paves the way for a new era of AI-powered diagnostics, bringing precision and impartiality to cardiac disease identification.
About Echo IQ and EchoSolv:
Echo IQ is a leading innovator in AI-powered healthcare solutions, committed to revolutionizing the identification of cardiovascular diseases. EchoSolv is their proprietary diagnostic-decision support software, empowering healthcare professionals to make accurate and unbiased assessments in cardiac disease identification.
About Edwards Lifesciences:
Edwards Lifesciences is a global leader in patient-focused medical innovations for structural heart disease and critical care monitoring. As a leading sponsor of this clinical trial, Edwards Lifesciences is dedicated to advancing medical technology for better patient outcomes.
For media inquiries, please contact:
Elizabeth Jennings, VP Marketing, Echo IQ: Elizabeth.jennings@echoiq.ai
Philip Woolf, Chief Operating Officer, Echo IQ: Philip.woolf@echoiq.ai
For author correspondence, please contact:
Professor Geoff Strange, the University of Notre Dame Australia: Geoff.strange@nd.edu.au
Media Contact
Company Name: Echo IQ
Contact Person: Elizabeth Jennings
Email: Send Email
Country: United States
Website: https://www.echoiq.ai/
