Evaluation of a computer programme for interpretation of 12-lead electrocardiograms

A 12-lead electrocardiogram (ECG) interpretation programme (Cardionics, Brussels) was treated for computer diagnosis of ECG. The computer performance was evaluated on an ECG population from hospital patients by a method giving results which will allow the clinician to judge the usefulness of the computer diagnosis in clinical practice. Diagnoses made by experienced ECG readers were in essential agreement with the computer diagnoses in 83.5%, of 493 ECGs. Clinically significant disagreements due to differences in criteria occurred in 6.0% of the tracings, whereas such disagreements due to programme errors were found in 10.5%.