Smarter FoCUS: AI-guided focused cardiac ultrasound enables novice detection of left ventricular dysfunction

Abstract Aims Heart failure is prevalent; however, there is no cost-effective screening option. Against formal echocardiography, we assessed the diagnostic performance of focused cardiac ultrasound (FoCUS), performed by novice users guided and interpreted by artificial intelligence (AI) for the assessment of left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF). Methods and results We prospectively enrolled 496 adults referred for diagnostic echocardiography. Novice operators (without clinical or imaging experience) underwent a 4-h imaging workshop, then performed FoCUS using a point-of-care device (Philips Lumify) utilizing real-time AI-image guidance (UltraSight). Images were assessed by AI-image interpretation software (Mayo Clinic), and two expert blinded echocardiologists. Median age was 67, 39% female, and body mass index range 17–56 kg/m2. Forty-one subjects (8.3%) exhibited moderate or greater LV dilatation and 28 (5.6%) had LVEF