Artificial Intelligence tool could help GPs diagnose heart failure

A smart stethoscope combined with an AI algorithm could enable earlier diagnosis of heart failure and improved patient outcomes, all at reduced cost. Researchers at the National Heart and Lung Institute and Imperial's Centre for Cardiac Engineering have completed the first-ever NHS study to evaluate an artificial intelligence (AI) technology for point-of-care detection of heart failure. Heart failure is a condition in which the heart cannot pump blood effectively. It carries a higher risk of death than most cancers and is increasingly common, affecting 2% of the UK population and consuming 4% of the NHS budget. Reliably diagnosing heart failure is a major challenge for GPs as the symptoms, such as breathlessness are associated with many other conditions.