How OhioHealth Is Using AI To Enhance Timely Detection and Treatment in Heart Care

As heart health continues to evolve, new technology is being used across the country to help physicians identify and treat heart conditions while improving the speed and quality of care.

Kevin Stiver, MD, OhioHealth Cardiovascular Disease recently helped publish a study, as lead author alongside other expert co-authors, titled, "Automated Alerts to Improve Timely Evaluation and Treatment of Valvular Heart Disease: The ALERT Trial.” The article was published in JACC and also presented as a late breaking clinical trial at the international American College of Cardiology annual meeting in New Orleans on March 29., OhioHealth presented the ALERT study at the scientific session of the American College of Cardiology.

“This work addresses an unmet need in timely detection of common heart valve conditions - conditions that are entirely treatable, thanks to procedural innovations occurring at OhioHealth as well,” Subha Raman, MD, vice president of OhioHealth heart and vascular services. “Too often, these conditions are detected once disease is advanced, conferring higher risk of complications and worse outcomes.”

Dr. Stiver is the operational lead physician for the heart and vascular service line. He is also a key contributor across the balanced scorecard (BSC) as an interventional cardiologist and structural interventionalist.

The AI tool used in the ALERT study alerts providers about patients’ echocardiogram results and sends real-time alerts to physicians on patients that may meet criteria for further heart and vascular evaluation. The trial is being done across five different academic and community-based health care systems and has shown to improve patient outcomes across various socio-economic backgrounds.

“It’s an extension of what were already providing,” Dr. Stiver said. “It’s not replacing physician decision making. Physicians still get to make the choice at the end of the day regarding patient care and treatment pathway. Physicians know their patients and they can talk to the patient about appropriate next steps.”

According to Dr. Stiver, this tool will help physicians navigate the challenging mental load they face each day, but it is not intended to outweigh their judgement.

“We didn't employ the software to take over human rationale. The purpose of this wasn't to allow AI or a software to direct patient care,” Dr. Stiver said. “It was just more of a nudge in the sense of a notification to say, based on the results of this echo, your patient may be eligible and if you agree, go ahead and refer.”

Dr. Stiver said, according to this study, the electronic notification did show that patients were more likely to be referred to specialists for a structural heart procedure evaluation sooner. Patients were also more likely to go through that procedure within 90 days. This shows a significant increase in timely care.

This proactive approach to health care ensures that patients receive quality care as quickly as possible.

While the study primarily focused on severe aortic stenosis and mitral regurgitation, Dr. Stiver said his team is currently exploring how physicians can use it against other cardiovascular diseases.

These AI tools are driven by data to help physicians make impactful decisions. Dr. Stiver said, “Software like this isn't replacing us by any means. It's just helping us take care of the thousands of people that we take care of every day.”