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A large NHS study published in The Lancet has found that a new AI-enabled stethoscope designed to detect serious heart conditions spots them faster and more frequently in primary care.

The clinical trial, called TRICORDER, led by researchers at Imperial's National Heart and Lung Institute and Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, and supported by the Imperial Biomedical Research Centre (BRC),examined if the technology could detect heart conditions such as heart failure, arrhythmias, and valve disease.

The study found that although the technology worked well, it didn’t significantly increase the overall number of heart failure diagnoses. This was primarily because too many GPs did not use the device consistently in routine clinical practice. 

When doctors used the AI stethoscope as intended, the technology detected these cardiovascular conditions faster and more frequently. This suggests the device performed well, but it will only have a significant impact on patient care when doctors use it frequently and receive the training to do so correctly.

If used correctly, the technology could detect heart conditions earlier

Conditions like heart failure, irregular heart rhythms, and valve problems are common and treatable, but they are often only diagnosed after an emergency hospital visit. New technologies, such as AI-enabled stethoscopes, could help doctors detect these conditions earlier during routine appointments at GP practices. This is better for patients and for the NHS.

Dr Patrik Bachtiger, one of the researchers who led the study said: “Our trial suggests AI tools like smart stethoscopes help us detect heart conditions earlier, but only if they are used and properly integrated into everyday clinical practice. Although the technology performed well, the impact it could have in the real world depends on doctors being able to use the technology easily during busy clinics.”

Co-lead author Dr Mihir Kelshiker said: “Some practices used the device less over time because it added extra steps to routine care and was not well integrated with existing electronic health record systems. Despite its diagnostic accuracy, it was these practical barriers that limited the overall impact of the technology.”

Large studies bring health innovations to patient care

The TRICORDER trial involved 205 NHS GP practices and more than 1.5 million registered patients in the UK. Over the year-long study, doctors performed nearly 13,000 AI-assisted heart examinations. Patients examined with the AI stethoscope had significantly higher detection rates – nearly twice as many new heart failure cases and three times as many detections of irregular heart rhythms – compared to patients who were not examined with the AI device.

Professor Nicholas Peters, who led the team said: “Studies like this are essential for patients, health systems, industry, regulators and researchers to bring the most promising health innovations into routine patient care."

This research was supported by the NIHR Imperial Biomedical Research Centre (a translational research partnership between Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust and Imperial College London), Imperial's British Heart Foundation Centre of Research Excellence and Imperial Health Charity.