AI Echo in the Netherlands
Us2.ai is now being used at two leading hospitals in the Netherlands, bringing advanced AI technology to echocardiography. Read below to learn how this innovation is supporting clinicians and improving cardiac diagnostics.
Erasmus MC
AI helps doctors and lab technicians assess cardiac echocardiography
Erasmus MC is the first academic center in the Netherlands to use AI software for echocardiography. This technology makes it possible to automatically analyze echoes of the heart while the patient is still on the treatment table.
The AI software automatically recognizes and reports subtle cardiac abnormalities that are difficult to see with the naked eye. In this way, the technology supports doctors and echo technicians in assessing the complex structures of the heart. “Thanks to the AI analysis, we immediately receive objective measurements, allowing us to make decisions faster and more consistently. That is a win-win for both the patient and the healthcare provider”, says head of the Cardiology department Prof. Rudolf de Boer of the Erasmus MC.
The doctor always remains ultimately responsible, emphasizes cardiologist Robert van der Boon of the Erasmus MC. “We assess what the AI generates and intervene where necessary. The system thinks along, but does not execute decisions independently.”
Time savings and better care
The use of AI saves time. Analyses that were previously done manually and were time-consuming are now performed automatically. This leaves more time for patient contact and treatment decisions can be made more quickly. In addition, the uniform measurement ensures less variation between different assessors, which contributes to the quality of care.
In the coming period, the use of AI software for cardiac echography at Erasmus MC will be further scaled up, with the aim of making diagnostics more accessible, faster and more reliable. De Boer: “This technology helps us to organize healthcare in a smarter and more future-proof way – while maintaining quality and the human dimension.“
Erasmus MC is the first Dutch academic hospital to use AI technology for heart echoes. Wilhelmina Hospital in Assen simultaneously introduced the same AI technology, as the first general hospital in the Netherlands. The AI software was developed by the company Us2.ai and trained on hundreds of thousands of echo images.
Wilhelmina Ziekenhuis Assen (WZA)
“At the WZA we like to use new applications to our advantage, for example we now use AI (as one of the first hospitals!) in echocardiography”
Using AI as “co-intelligence” when performing cardiac ultrasounds raises the quality to a higher level, saves time and thus makes room for additional echocardiograms, says cardiologist Jacco Karper. “Being among the first, alongside Erasmus MC, to use this AI technology shows it can be applied in both general and academic hospitals.”
The AI software largely automates the measurement process typically performed by the ultrasound technician. Developed by the company Us2.ai, this innovative technology is neither a replacement nor a ‘black box’.“You should see it as a system that thinks alongside us and supports us in speeding up the analysis,” says ultrasound technician Gerrie Venema. “We can see exactly what the system measures, verify the results, and make adjustments where needed.”
The AI software largely automates the measurement process typically performed by the ultrasound technician. Developed by the company Us2.ai, this innovative technology is neither a replacement nor a ‘black box’. “You should see it as a system that thinks alongside us and supports us in speeding up the analysis,” says ultrasound technician Gerrie Venema. “We can see exactly what the system measures, verify the results, and make adjustments where needed.”
Because the software is automating the measurements, there’s an immediate double check, says Jacco Karper, who emphasizes that there is still a ‘human in the loop’. “The lab technician must trust the system and at the same time maintain a healthy form of distrust.”
Shortage of ultrasound technicians
The use of AI helps maintain high-quality care and ensures continued access, which is necessary to keep up with the increasing demand for care and the shortage of ultrasound technicians that has existed for years. “There is a bottleneck within cardiology because many cardiology patients have to undergo an ultrasound.” Jacco Karper therefore expects that this form of co-intelligence will continue to become more widely adopted in the coming years and is eager to support its implementation.
To create capacity for additional echocardiograms, WZA earlier switched to a focused echo approach.“By performing focused echocardiograms for simple clinical questions or follow-ups, the exams take less time, and within six months we have created space for 288 extra scans. Moreover, this also helps avoid unnecessary diagnostics.”
Care Transformation: Hart voor Elkaar
This implementation took place as part of the IZA transformation program Hart voor Elkaar, in which WZA and Dokter Drenthe work together to provide accessible healthcare. “This enables us to participate in new developments at the forefront.”
Featured image taken from the online news article published in Dagblad van het Noorden
