HAS Wayne General Hospital In rural Mississippi, clinicians say using an AI-powered stethoscope helps them detect heart problems earlier in patients who often have limited access to specialists.
Hospital clinicians began using Eco Healthlast year’s digital stethoscope. Initially, they were just using it for higher-quality listening, but then began using its AI features to detect heart problems more quickly, said Jason Rogers, emergency nurse practitioner and vice president of clinical operations at Wayne General Hospital.
The platform combines stethoscope data with real-time electrocardiogram data to report serious heart conditions such as atrial fibrillation, low ejection fraction and heart valve disease. Its AI engine interprets data in real time, helping to identify anomalies that might be missed during a standard exam.
Rogers said the hospital began billing for AI-based exams in December, with initial analyzes showing average reimbursements of about $120 per exam.
CMS established a payment rate for Eko’s diagnostic AI system last July. Because Eko’s tool has a CPT code for reimbursement, Wayne General can offset costs while expanding access to advanced cardiac sensing in its rural community, Rogers said.
Wayne General is the only hospital serving Wayne County, Mississippi. Patients in rural communities typically face long travel times, delayed care, and limited or no access to specialists. Deploying AI-based diagnostics on-site can therefore help fill crucial access gaps, Rogers noted.
Since enabling AI analysis, he said clinicians are frequently discovering previously undiagnosed heart problems – primarily abnormal rhythms, murmurs and low ejection fraction.
Per shift, Rogers said he uses the system about 10 times and typically reports two to four undiagnosed cases of heart disease.
He pointed out that the technology is particularly useful in rural communities, not only because cardiologists are in short supply, but also because patients face high rates of chronic diseases.
“We have a pretty high prevalence of significant comorbidities where we are – a lot of obesity, hypertension, untreated diabetes, hyperlipidemia and underlying cardiovascular disease,” Rogers explained.
He said Eko’s AI can help clinicians make faster and more accurate treatment decisions when patients with chronic conditions come seeking emergency care. For example, it can help quickly differentiate conditions such as septic shock and cardiogenic shock.
And because clinicians already use stethoscopes during routine exams, Eko’s tool improves an existing workflow rather than adding new steps, noted Jason Bellet, the company’s co-founder and chief business officer.
“If you’re considering placing the stethoscope on the chest anyway during the emergency room visit or during the primary care visit, being able to get an interpretation from the AI in less than a minute is critical. Atrial fibrillation would often require a skinny 12 ECG, and a structural murmur would require an echocardiogram. You’ll potentially save weeks, and certainly hours, to get early insight into what’s going on with that patient,” he said.
According to both Jasons, the platform provides rural clinicians with actionable insights at the point of care, helping to avoid complications and unnecessary expenses in the long run.
Photo: Grace Cary, Getty Images
