In Uganda, late-stage rheumatic heart disease is difficult to treat or detect, because the small number of Ugandan cardiologists can't serve the entire population.
A new device developed by researchers at Children's National in Washington, D.C., is helping to alleviate the financial burden and resource strain for the detection of heart diseases, according to a Jan. 6 report in The Washington Post. In collaboration with the Uganda Heart Institute, Children's National researchers have developed a tool that can diagnose children with early stage rheumatic heart disease. From there, they can be treated with penicillin and avoid surgery.
The tool uses AI to detect the presence of rheumatic heart disease from echocardiograms. The tool is lightweight and costs between $2,000-5,000, in comparison with $250,000 for a larger, less portable echocardiogram machine.
After being flagged for risk of rheumatic heart disease, children attend a follow-up appointment via telemedicine, according to the Post. The implications of the tool in combination with the implementation of telehealth means that children in remote corners of the country will have the opportunity to receive care.