Abstract 10856: Artificial Intelligence-Guided Screening for Atrial Fibrillation Using the Electrocardiogram in Sinus Rhythm

Abstract

Introduction: Prior AF screening trials demonstrated low yield, highlighting the need for more targeted approaches. An AI algorithm was developed to identify ECG signatures of AF risk during normal sinus rhythm, which has been validated in diverse external populations. Hypothesis: An AI-guided, targeted screening approach could improve the diagnosis of AF. Methods We conducted a pragmatic decentralized trial to prospectively recruit patients with stroke risk factors but no prior AF. The AI algorithm was applied to the ECGs performed in routine practice and divided patients into high- or low-risk groups. The primary endpoint was AF lasting ≥ 30 seconds on a subsequent 30-day continuous cardiac rhythm monitor. In a secondary analysis, trial participants were 1:1 propensity score-matched to real-world controls derived from the eligible but unenrolled population. Results A total of 1,003 patients from 40 U.S. states completed the study, with a mean age of 74 [SD 8.8] years. Over a mean of 22.3 days of continuous monitoring, AF was detected in 6 (1.6%) of low-risk patients and 48 (7.6%) of high-risk patients (OR 4.98 [2.11-11.75], p<0.001). Compared to usual care, AI-guided AF screening was associated with increased detection of AF (high-risk group: 4.2% vs. 11.1%, p<0.001; low-risk group: 0.9% vs. 2.4%, p=0.12) over a median follow-up of 10 months. Conclusions A prospective pragmatic study found that the AI a can risk-stratify a relatively uniform population (i.e., older adults at risk for stroke) to detect AF during short-term cardiac monitoring. Furthermore, when compared with usual care, AI-guided cardiac monitoring was associated with increased AF detection. As such, an AI-guided AF screening approach, leveraging existing EHR data and infrastructure, could be effective, patient-centered, and massively scalable, thereby reducing unnecessary health utilization and diagnosis-related anxiety (Clinicaltrials.gov: NCT04208971).