AI improves CT assessments, boosts care for real-world heart patients
Artificial intelligence (AI) can help cardiologists and radiologists get the most out of cardiac CT results, acting as a second set of eyes and even delivering automated measurements of coronary artery disease stenosis. These easier-to-understand image-based assessments can then be forwarded to referring physicians and shared with patients to better explain the patient's disease state.
For example, Sarah Jane Rinehart, MD, the director of cardiac imaging at Charleston Area Medical Center, has been utilizing the FDA-cleared Roadmap Analysis AI algorithm from HeartFlow to enhance care for real-world patients. Rinehart discussed her experience with this advanced AI offering with Cardiovascular Business at ACC.24, the annual meeting of the American College of Cardiology.
"I use the Roadmap technology in a wide variety of ways. It really helps raise up level-two readers who may not have the experience level-three readers may, but also builds consistency in the reads and decreases the time that it actually takes to read. We use the technology to help train new fellows as well," Rinehart explained.
The Roadmap AI can serve as a collaborative tool between various stakeholders, including referring physicians, interventional cardiologists and surgeons. Rinehart said the images are used to facilitate discussions and help better plan treatments rather than going into a procedure blind or with limited information.
"I've built a protocol around the Roadmap that says every moderate and every severe stenosis should be sent and mild proximal stenosis should be sent, especially if they have high-risk plaque. So the consumer or the ordering physician, no matter who's reading, will get more consistent results and overall build better confidence in the consumer aspect," Rinehart said.
She also emphasized the AI's role in mitigating fatigue-induced oversights and prioritizing cases based on plaque volume and stenosis severity. This can help with workflow. Rinehart added that the integration of plaque analysis expands the scope of assessment beyond luminal stenosis, enabling a more holistic approach to cardiac patient management. This advancement empowers clinicians to tailor medical treatments based on individualized risk profiles, thereby optimizing patient outcomes.
Pictures are worth a thousand words, but most of the time cardiac patients are told they have some narrowing in their arteries and really do not have a clear understanding of what that means. She said showing patients the images from these AI-generated reports can go a long way to furthering their understanding.
"With my referrings, I'm saying these are tools for showing patients their disease burden. It ensures better compliance. If you see it, you believe it," Rinehart explained.
Dave Fornell has covered healthcare for more than 17 years, with a focus in cardiology and radiology. Fornell is a 5-time winner of a Jesse H. Neal Award, the most prestigious editorial honors in the field of specialized journalism. The wins included best technical content, best use of social media and best COVID-19 coverage. Fornell was also a three-time Neal finalist for best range of work by a single author. He produces more than 100 editorial videos each year, most of them interviews with key opinion leaders in medicine. He also writes technical articles, covers key trends, conducts video hospital site visits, and is very involved with social media. E-mail: dfornell@innovatehealthcare.com