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East London has some of the highest rates of heart and circulation problems in the country, so quicker and easier testing is especially important for our patients.  

A simple screening tool for heart failure invented by a Barts Health clinician, known as iHeF (Intelligent Heart Evaluation Framework), could reduce treatment times and save lives. Cardiologist Dr Nay Aung and his team have created a tool that uses an AI algorithm to detect unusual changes in heart function from electrocardiogram (ECG) data. An ECG is a quick test that shows the electrical activity of the patient’s heart, including the rate and rhythm.

Usually, doctors need special hospital scans to see how well the heart is working. The new technology, however, could transform screening and make it easier, cheaper and faster to test patients.

Now his team has secured a £1.3m grant to develop the technology for use in the NHS. Working with scientists from Queen Mary University of London, Dr Aung will run clinical studies with patients across our hospitals. Our team at Barts Life Sciences will evaluate how the tool can best be adopted into everyday NHS care .

The new technology can spot unusual changes in the heart’s structure and pumping function, helping clinicians identify heart failure and other heart conditions at an earlier stage. Because the test is easy to use, it does not need specialist staff, and it costs much less than current approaches. It could be done in GP clinics, local health centres, or even at home, so people who need further heart checks can be found earlier.

 

Colin Heath, a patient at Barts Health, said:

I believe using AI to help check heart tests could really cut waiting times, making care quicker and less stressful for people like me. I also think that research like this, using the right data, can make a real difference and may even help save more lives in the future.

Dr Nay Aung (pictured), Consultant Cardiologist at Barts Heart Centre and Clinical Senior Lecturer at Queen Mary University of London, and the lead inventor of iHeF, said:

Over a million people in Britain have heart failure and an estimated 400,000 more remain undiagnosed. Early diagnosis saves lives and improves outcomes for patients. Our invention aims to reduce waiting times so patients can be screened and diagnosed sooner.

The iHeF grant is one of six projects awarded a share of more than £8 million by NIHR through its Invention for Innovation (i4i) programme, which sought bold, high-impact solutions to cut NHS waiting times. Find out more on the NIHR website.