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EASI™ 12‑lead ECG with a handheld computer refines cardiovascular diagnosis in general practice
Anne-Gaëlle Pollet1, Charles Guenancia2, Rodrigue Garcia3
1Laboratoire de l'ICL, Université Catholique de Lille, F-59000 Lille, France.
Insights
A user-friendly Electrocardiogram (ECG) device improved general practitioner (GP) diagnosis of cardiovascular symptoms. This technology enhances diagnostic certainty and decision-making in primary care settings.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Primary Care Medicine
- Medical Technology
Background:
- Electrocardiograms (ECGs) are underutilized in general medicine due to perceived interpretation difficulties and time constraints for general practitioners (GPs).
- Addressing these barriers is crucial for improving cardiovascular diagnosis in primary care.
Purpose of the Study:
- To test if a user-friendly EASI ECG system enhances GP diagnosis of cardiovascular symptoms.
- To evaluate the impact of the EASI ECG on diagnostic accuracy and decision-making in a primary care setting.
Main Methods:
- A prospective, multicentric study involving 17 GPs across 10 practices.
- Patients over 18 with cardiovascular symptoms or rhythm abnormalities underwent ECG using Cardiosecur® with EASI™ processing.
- GP diagnoses and referral decisions were compared before and after ECG interpretation against a specialist reference diagnosis.
Main Results:
- The Cardiosecur® system with EASI™ processing was highly rated by GPs for usability and improvement over standard ECG.
- GPs correctly interpreted ECG normality/abnormality in 77% of cases, leading to correct diagnosis changes in 14% of patients.
- The ECG influenced GP decision-making, altering referral or treatment for 24% of patients and prompting further tests for 20%.
Conclusions:
- The EASI™ algorithm combined with a handheld computer simplifies ECG recording in primary care.
- This technology facilitates improved diagnostic accuracy and clinical decision-making for cardiovascular conditions in general practice.
Background:
Electrocardiogram (ECG) is used to a small extent in general medicine, because of general practitioner (GP) apprehension about interpretation and time consumption.
Aim:
This study tested the hypothesis that user-friendly EASI ECG improves GP diagnosis of cardiovascular symptoms.
Method:
Patients over 18 years with recent cardiovascular symptoms or auscultation rhythm abnormalities were included in this prospective, multicentric study (10 practices, 17 GPs). ECG recordings were made with Cardiosecur® (4‑lead ECG connected to a handheld computer for EASI™ processing). Besides clinical data, diagnosis/patient referral were noted before and after ECG and interpretation. GP diagnosis and ECG interpretation were compared with a reference diagnosis made by ECG specialist.
Results:
There were 338 patients; 66% had cardiovascular risk factors. ECGs were performed for chest pain (41%), auscultation rhythm abnormalities (33%) or palpitations (19%). Average time to perform ECG was 4.7 ± 2.1 min, with possible home recordings. Compared with standard ECG, improvement provided by Cardiosecur® was scored 9/10 (range 7-10) by GPs. GPs correctly interpreted ECG normality/abnormality in 77% of patients. Diagnosis was correctly changed for 14% of patients thanks to the ECG, and wrongly changed for 2%. One new appropriate final diagnosis was achieved for 9 ECG recordings (p < 0.001). Diagnostic certainty increased 1.9 ± 2.1/10 (p < 0.001). ECG brought about changes in GP decision making: referral or treatment changed for 82 patients (24%) and complementary test for 69 patients (20%).
Conclusion:
The EASI™ algorithm coupled with a handheld computer facilitates ECG recordings in the primary care setting, providing improved diagnosis.
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