LUMC joins a project to develop AI-based tool for early diagnosis of heart attack

Leiden University Medical Center (LUMC) is one of the partners of ASSIST, an innovation project funded by EIT Health. The aim of the project is to create the first artificial intelligence (AI) based solution for early diagnosis and accurate triage of acute myocardial infarction, commonly known as heart attack.

Every year, 4 million European citizens die from cardiovascular disease (CVD)⁽¹⁾, and 20% of these deaths are caused by ischaemic heart disease⁽²⁾. Among the most common forms of ischemic heart disease is acute myocardial infarction. Early diagnosis and treatment are crucial to reduce mortality and improve treatment outcomes for heart attack patients.

ASSIST will develop a cloud-based AI platform called Willem, which will use electrocardiogram (ECG) data to detect and predict acute myocardial infarction cases. Leiden University Medical Center will provide access to their health registry to obtain ECGs with cardiac patterns, which will be used to train and validate the AI models.

By speeding up the diagnostic process and improving communication between clinical agents, ASSIST will contribute to a more efficient use of healthcare resources and improved quality of treatment for patients.

“We estimate that just three years after the completion of the project, we will be able to reach more than 1.2 million patients with suspected acute ischaemic heart disease, resulting in more than 1,400 lives saved and leading to cost savings of more than €74 million, for the participating healthcare regions.”

Dr. Manuel Marina Breysse, cardiologist and CEO of Idoven

ASSIST is led by the Spanish start-up Idoven and involves leading international institutions in the healthcare sector. It is the first innovation project selected by EIT Health in our new Flagships call, which aims to boost the development and adoption of digital health solutions, maximize the potential of health data, adopt new models of value-based healthcare, and strengthening the European health industry.

Source: EIT Health Spain Press release