December 5, 2024- Earlier research showed that primary care clinicians using AI-ECG tools identified more unknown cases of a weak heart pump, also called low ejection fraction, than without AI. New study findings published in Mayo Clinic Proceedings: Digital Health suggest that this type of screening is also cost-effective in the long term, especially in outpatient settings.
Incremental drops in heart function are treatable with medication but can be hard to spot. Patients may or may not have symptoms when their heart is not pumping effectively, and doctors may not order an echocardiogram or other diagnostic test to check ejection fraction unless there are symptoms. Peter Noseworthy, M.D., a Mayo Clinic cardiologist and co-author of the study, notes that using AI to catch the hidden signals of heart failure during a routine visit can mean earlier treatment for patients, delaying or stopping disease progression, and fewer related medical costs over time.
According to the study, the cost-effectiveness ratio of using AI-ECG was $27,858 per quality-adjusted life year — a measure of the quality of life and years lived. The program was especially cost-effective in outpatient settings, with a much lower cost-effectiveness ratio of $1,651 per quality-adjusted life year.