NHS mandates AI-powered analysis to treat coronary heart disease

HeartFlow has announced that the National Health Service England (NHSE) and NHS Improvement have mandated that English hospitals adopt the AI-powered HeartFlow FFRct Analysis to fight coronary heart disease (CHD).

The HeartFlow Analysis has been selected as one of the innovations supported by NHSE’s new MedTech Funding Mandate. The Mandate, which will begin 1st April 2021, aims to provide innovative medical devices and digital products to NHSE patients faster, and is a key policy in helping to improve patient care and reduce costs for the public health service. The Mandate includes the option to extend funding for up to an additional three years through 31 March 2024.

HeartFlow has also received extended funding through NHSE’s Innovation and Technology Payment Programme (ITP) for a third year. The programme seeks to accelerate the uptake of innovations in the health service by removing financial barriers, with funding available until 31 March 2021.

The HeartFlow Analysis streamlines the diagnostic experience for patients – often eliminating invasive diagnostic procedures for those who do not need them. The technology limits redundant non-invasive diagnostic testing, reduces patient time in hospital and face-to-face clinical contact, and helps ensure that hospital visits for those who do need them are streamlined.

The HeartFlow Analysis takes data from a coronary CT angiography (CTA) scan and uses deep learning technology and analysts to create a personalised, digital 3D model of the patient’s coronary arteries. Its algorithms solve millions of equations to simulate blood flow in a patient’s arteries to help clinicians assess the functional impact of any blockages.

The National Institute of Health and Care Excellence (NICE) advocates a CTA-first approach to diagnosing CHD. The HeartFlow Analysis has been declared a best practice non-invasive option for patients in recent updates to NICE’s guidance, stating that the technology should be considered as an option for patients with stable, recent onset chest pain who are offered CTA. 

Dr Anna Beattie, consultant cardiothoracic radiologist at Newcastle Hospitals, said: “We have used the HeartFlow Analysis in Newcastle Hospitals since August 2018. It has contributed to significant changes in the way we diagnose patients and use hospital resources. Prior to adopting the technology, we used a coronary CT-first approach for 28% of all patients referred to our rapid access chest pain clinic. Now that has risen to more than 45% and the number of diagnostic-only invasive angiograms we perform has reduced. The HeartFlow Analysis is a great tool to supplement a CT-first approach by providing functional information on top of the anatomical information from a CT scan. This is great for patients as it reduces unnecessary risks and means they spend less time at the hospital.”

HeartFlow’s technology is used in 60 NHSE hospitals. The extension of the ITP and introduction of the MedTech Funding Mandate will allow hospitals to continue providing cutting-edge care to patients and accelerate adoption of the technology in hospitals throughout the country.

Lance Scott, chief commercial officer at HeartFlow said: “The new MedTech Funding Mandate helps bring world-leading medical innovations to patients across NHSE hospitals. The HeartFlow Analysis is already available in a number of English hospitals, and today’s announcement, coupled with the immediate funding unlocked through the ITP programme, means we can rapidly scale and ensure more clinicians across England have access to the HeartFlow Analysis to non-invasively diagnose CHD and formulate treatment plans for their patients.

“Since 2018, we’ve processed more than 15,000 HeartFlow Analyses for NHSE patients, helping cardiology services prioritise invasive treatments for those who need it most. This has also contributed to a better patient experience, reducing unnecessary procedures and the time to diagnosis. Many patients can also receive a diagnosis and treatment plan after just one trip to the hospital, helping to reduce risks and face-to-face contact time during the ongoing pandemic.”