Artificial intelligence in cardiac rhythm diagnostics and management: Challenges and opportunities

Each day, one million people undergo electrocardiogram diagnostics. The diagnostic process is time-consuming and often yields incomplete or inconclusive results, placing significant strain on physicians. Artificial intelligence (AI)-assisted diagnosis can significantly alleviate this burden by enhancing diagnostic accuracy and efficiency, and its application is gaining traction across various fields. With the increasing number of patients and a growing backlog of diagnostic appointments, AI can offer physicians benefits such as accurate, timely, and reliable assistance in reviewing vital signs and conducting physical examinations for individual patients. As physicians face mounting pressure from insurance companies and government guidelines for consultation time, AI can help streamline the diagnostic process. In particular, with the growing global attention on cardiac health (and the overall decline thereof), the range of automated diagnostic opportunities is expanding rapidly. Additional mathematical processing tools can provide probabilistic assessments of various cardiac conditions, reducing physicians’ workload while enhancing treatment options. AI has already demonstrated success in expediting the detection of pathological cardiac depolarization abnormalities and shortening diagnostic time frames. However, AI-based diagnostics requires further validation and safeguards to minimize diagnostic inaccuracies, ensuring its reliability and safety in clinical practice.