Evidence map›Paper›PMID 36912875›Full record

ArticleJMIR research protocols2023

Clinical Validation of an Artificial Intelligence-Based Tool for Automatic Estimation of Left Ventricular Ejection Fraction and Strain in Echocardiography: Protocol for a Two-Phase Prospective Cohort Study.

Stelios Hadjidimitriou, Efstathios Pagourelias, Georgios Apostolidis, Ioannis Dimaridis, Vasileios Charisis, Constantinos Bakogiannis, Leontios Hadjileontiadis, Vassilios Vassilikos

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in JMIR research protocols, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
0.7field-weighted citation impact, top 30% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed, 3 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Review
  2. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors at 2 institutions in 2 countries.

Stelios HadjidimitriouDepartment of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3676-6556
Efstathios PagoureliasThird Cardiology Department, Hippokrateion Hospital, Medical School, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0189-8353
Georgios ApostolidisDepartment of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8683-0229
Ioannis DimaridisDepartment of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6973-3689
Vasileios CharisisDepartment of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8007-2343
Constantinos BakogiannisThird Cardiology Department, Hippokrateion Hospital, Medical School, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1132-9835
Leontios HadjileontiadisDepartment of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9932-9302
Vassilios VassilikosThird Cardiology Department, Hippokrateion Hospital, Medical School, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0885-9170
Aristotle University of Thessaloniki · GRKhalifa University of Science and Technology · AE

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundEchocardiography (ECHO) is a type of ultrasonographic procedure for examining the cardiac function and morphology, with functional parameters of the left ventricle (LV), such as the ejection fraction (EF) and global longitudinal strain (GLS), being important indicators. Estimation of LV-EF and LV-GLS is performed either manually or semiautomatically by cardiologists and requires a nonnegligible amount of time, while estimation accuracy depends on scan quality and the clinician's experience in ECHO, leading to considerable measurement variability.

objectiveThe aim of this study is to externally validate the clinical performance of a trained artificial intelligence (AI)-based tool that automatically estimates LV-EF and LV-GLS from transthoracic ECHO scans and to produce preliminary evidence regarding its utility.

methodsThis is a prospective cohort study conducted in 2 phases. ECHO scans will be collected from 120 participants referred for ECHO examination based on routine clinical practice in the Hippokration General Hospital, Thessaloniki, Greece. During the first phase, 60 scans will be processed by 15 cardiologists of different experience levels and the AI-based tool to determine whether the latter is noninferior in LV-EF and LV-GLS estimation accuracy (primary outcomes) compared to cardiologists. Secondary outcomes include the time required for estimation and Bland-Altman plots and intraclass correlation coefficients to assess measurement reliability for both the AI and cardiologists. In the second phase, the rest of the scans will be examined by the same cardiologists with and without the AI-based tool to primarily evaluate whether the combination of the cardiologist and the tool is superior in terms of correctness of LV function diagnosis (normal or abnormal) to the cardiologist's routine examination practice, accounting for the cardiologist's level of ECHO experience. Secondary outcomes include time to diagnosis and the system usability scale score. Reference LV-EF and LV-GLS measurements and LV function diagnoses will be provided by a panel of 3 expert cardiologists.

resultsRecruitment started in September 2022, and data collection is ongoing. The results of the first phase are expected to be available by summer 2023, while the study will conclude in May 2024, with the end of the second phase.

conclusionsThis study will provide external evidence regarding the clinical performance and utility of the AI-based tool based on prospectively collected ECHO scans in the routine clinical setting, thus reflecting real-world clinical scenarios. The study protocol may be useful to investigators conducting similar research. INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT IDENTIFIER (IRRID): DERR1-10.2196/44650.

Indexed as

artificial intelligenceclinical validationcomputer-aided diagnosisechocardiographyejection fractionglobal longitudinal strainleft ventricleprospective cohort designultrasound

Identifiers

PMID36912875
PMCPMC10131996
OpenAlexW4317928741

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.