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Heart Valve Voice and Intelligent Stethoscope Study

Tuesday 7th August 2018

The team from Heart Valve Voice including CEO Wil Woan, Trustee Pat Khan, NHS Patient and Public Advisor Neil Betteridge and Patient ambassadors Christine and Katharine Greenlands, Brenda Walker and Sandra Woodcock travelled to Cambridge today to discuss an upcoming study to develop an new innovative stethoscope.

The Intelligent Stethoscope is being developed by Cambridge University in partnership with Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Birmingham and Papworth CTU and will use an artificial intelligence system to detect heart murmurs and their associated pathology and severity. The artificial intelligence system used in the Intelligent Stethoscope will learn from previous examples of heart sounds allowing for a much more accurate reading to help detect heart valve disease.

In addition to the Heart Valve Voice team the discussion included experts in cardiology including Heart Valve Voice ambassador Rick Steads, Consultant Cardiologist from Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham. “The innovation involved in the Intelligent Stethoscope is groundbreaking and something that has been needed for some time in the detection and diagnosis of heart valve disease,” said Rick.

One of the key aspects of this study will be patient participation which will be supported by Heart Valve Voice. Wil and the patient ambassadors in attendance were able to discuss the importance of patient engagement in developing new technologies that will eventually be used on patients. They were also on hand to share their experiences of diagnosis and the role of primary care in their treatment pathway. “It is so important that the clinicians and experts involved in creating devices that will eventually be used on patients have a clear understanding of what we as patients go through and our emotional and physical needs when we are undergoing testing and treatment,” said Pat Khan.

“We are very honoured to be a part of this study by providing a patient voice. As part of the Heart Valve Voice manifesto we believe that the patient voice should be the strongest when it comes to improving patient care and treatment for heart valve disease,” said Wil. “We are in full support of the use of innovation in the diagnosis and treatment of heart valve disease and believe that anything that improves and streamlines the detection process can only help to enhance the patient experience.”

Read our patient's stories here.