Research
AI echo drafts met accuracy standard and reduced cardiologists’ reading time
In a 1,200-exam trial, AI-assisted echo drafts met the study’s noninferiority standard and cut cardiologists’ interpretation time by about 46%.
AI-generated preliminary reports for transthoracic echocardiograms were noninferior in accuracy to preliminary reports by sonographers and cardiologists, according to findings presented at the American Heart Association Scientific Sessions 2026 in Chicago.
The study tested 1,200 echocardiograms. An AI tool, a sonographer and a cardiologist each prepared a preliminary report for every scan. Cardiologists then reviewed and finalized reports without knowing who had drafted them. They made substantial changes to 50.6% of AI reports and 49.7% of reports in the pooled human comparison group. The results met the study’s criteria for noninferiority. Medical Xpress reported that cardiologists spent an average of 4.6 minutes reviewing AI-generated reports, compared with 8.5 minutes without AI, a time savings of about 46%.
The study did not assess whether AI-assisted interpretation improves patients’ long-term health. Researchers said more research is needed to assess performance in larger-scale, real-world clinical settings.
