Artificial Intelligence Empowers Novice Users to Acquire Diagnostic-Quality Echocardiography.

BACKGROUND

Cardiac ultrasound exams provide real-time data to guide clinical decisions but require highly trained sonographers. Artificial intelligence (AI) that uses deep learning algorithms to guide novices in the acquisition of diagnostic echocardiographic studies may broaden access and improve care.

OBJECTIVES

The objective of this trial was to evaluate whether nurses without previous ultrasound experience (novices) could obtain diagnostic-quality acquisitions of 10 echocardiographic views using AI-based software.

METHODS

This noninferiority study was prospective, international, nonrandomized, and conducted at 2 medical centers, in the United States and France, from November 2023 to August 2024. Two limited cardiac exams were performed on adult patients scheduled for a clinically indicated echocardiogram; one was conducted by a novice using AI guidance and one by an expert (experienced sonographer or cardiologist) without it. Primary endpoints were evaluated by 5 experienced cardiologists to assess whether the novice exam was of sufficient quality to visually analyze the left ventricular size and function, the right ventricle size, and the presence of nontrivial pericardial effusion. Secondary endpoints included 8 additional cardiac parameters.

RESULTS

A total of 240 patients (mean age 62.6 years; 117 women (48.8%); mean body mass index 26.6 kg/m) completed the study. One hundred percent of the exams performed by novices with the studied software were of sufficient quality to assess the primary endpoints. Cardiac parameters assessed in exams conducted by novices and experts were strongly correlated.

CONCLUSIONS

AI-based software provides a safe means for novices to perform diagnostic-quality cardiac ultrasounds after a short training period.