AI-Powered Project at Vancouver Hospital Aims to Transform Heart Failure Detection
Heart failure is becoming a more common issue for Canadians, and with it, come real challenges such as long waitlists for heart imaging and access to specialist care. DCI’s Dr. Christina Luong, co-director of the Centre for AI, Data Science, and Imaging, is leading a new study that aims to address these issues. She was recently interviewed by Global News, City News, and CTV News, alongside Dr. Purang Abolmaesumi, to talk about how this new study could change how heart failure care is delivered.
The study uses portable handheld ultrasound devices and a sophisticated AI algorithm designed to help detect markers of heart failure. The system is designed to alert clinicians about possible abnormalities, identify which patients require more immediate care, and make earlier intervention possible.
In Dr. Luong’s words: “It’s this idea of how we can democratize medical imaging, specifically cardiac ultrasound imaging. You can get the answer at the bedside so you can decide what to do with the patient next: what kind of treatment they should get, who they should be referred to, [if] they need surgery.”
The study uses portable handheld ultrasound devices and a sophisticated AI algorithm designed to help detect markers of heart failure. The system is designed to alert clinicians about possible abnormalities, identify which patients require more immediate care, and make earlier intervention possible.
In Dr. Luong’s words: “It’s this idea of how we can democratize medical imaging, specifically cardiac ultrasound imaging. You can get the answer at the bedside so you can decide what to do with the patient next: what kind of treatment they should get, who they should be referred to, [if] they need surgery.”
While AI is not a replacement for care delivered by real clinicians, it can be an incredibly useful tool, allowing more patients with heart failure to be treated sooner and more precisely, regardless of where they live.
To read or view the full interviews, please visit the corresponding links.
