Aalst hospital uses AI to detect heart conditions

A hospital in Aalst has started using an application that can scan heart recordings at lightning speed using artificial intelligence. An advanced clinical assistant called PMcardio can already help to detect 38 cardiovascular conditions, and the technology might even be able to predict heart failures in the future

Researchers at Onze-Lievevrouw, specialised in cardiac care, worked with developers Powerful Medical on the app, which can analyse the results of an electrocardiogram (ECG) using a smartphone in about 5 seconds.

PMcardio is useful for health professionals or doctors who do not deal with ECG interpretation on a daily basis, such as emergency physicians or general practitioners. But it can also help experienced heart specialists take a second, AI-driven look at their diagnosis, and it provides personalised treatment options.

"Cardiologists can double-check their own diagnosis, leading to even higher certainty and an even more accurate diagnosis"

The technology is based on expertise provided by the hospital. "With this platform, cardiologists can double-check their own diagnosis, leading to even higher certainty and an even more accurate diagnosis," doctors at the hospital said. The device has Class IIb certification, an approval for medium-risk medical devices.

Today, PMcardio can accurately analyse an ECG and recognise 38 conditions. But in the future, it should be able to learn how to make new diagnoses. "We aim to expand AI-driven diagnostic ECG capabilities in the early detection of heart failure, acute coronary syndrome and a host of predictive diagnoses," PMcardio's Dr Robert Herman said.

PMcardio has been available in Belgium since this month in both English and French.

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