Royal Papworth Hospital NHS Foundation Trust has launched a research study which focuses on the use of artificial intelligence in helping to diagnose heart valve diseases earlier.
The Cardiovascular Acoustics and an Intelligent Stethoscope (CAIS) study – co-led by the University of Cambridge – aims to test and validate a screening tool which could be used to diagnose valvular heart disease (VHD) before symptoms emerge. Patients participating in the study will record heart sounds to help test the tool against a larger dataset.
The sound recordings are uploaded to a machine-learning programme to work towards creating an ‘artificially intelligent stethoscope’ capable of analysing heart murmurs and providing an instant diagnosis, the trust says. The research hopes to utilise thousands of sound recordings and build a database of noises of the heart in this area.
Leader of the study, Fatima Hajee, Senior Research Nurse, said of the trial: “I am delighted that we have managed to recruit so many patients here already, and a special mention also to my research colleague Miriam Soares Vaz who has also helped recruit patients and managed the huge data input process.”
According to Royal Papworth Hospital FT, 1,200 participants have been recruited for the trial across five NHS sites.
Andrew McDonald, Research Associate, University of Cambridge, added: “Currently, heart murmurs are picked up as part of a physical exam by GPs using a stethoscope. However, VHD can often become severe before symptoms develop, meaning many patients may only be picked up when they have already developed irreversible complications such as heart failure.
“We are excited by the potential impact this study can have, using the AI machine learning of the sound recordings and an app to provide an instant diagnosis of whether or not someone has, or is likely to have, valve disease.
“This can help to diagnose heart disease that might otherwise have gone undetected or been picked up too late, hopefully reducing the number of patients who then develop end-stage heart failure, improving outcomes and reducing the demand on GPs and the health service.”
In June 2021, HTN welcomed Andrew Raynes, Director of Digital and Chief Information Officer at Royal Papworth Hospital who shared their health tech learnings from their hospital move, as part of HTN Now.
