Neural network matches cardiologists in EKG analysis study

NIH-funded researchers have created an electrocardiogram-analyzing deep neural network that showed comparable outcomes to cardiologists' interpretations in a study. The network correctly classified a range of distinct arrhythmias, leading the researchers to talk up the prospect of it being used to better triage patients. However, the network is yet to be validated in clinical settings and could suffer from problems including false positives unless it is tailored. Computers have come to play a central role in the interpretation of EKGs since they were introduced into the field decades ago. Many of the more than 300 million EKGs captured globally every year are automatically analyzed.