Grant: Project Grant

The Hearts in Rhythm Organization (HiRO) is pioneering a groundbreaking approach to understanding and managing inherited heart conditions. With a national network of 25 clinics and data from 6,855 patients and family members, HiRO aims to transform how we diagnose and treat uncommon cardiac genetic disorders. Working together with researchers, patients and their family members, and healthcare professionals, HiRO aims to improve and standardize care in Canada. The research team oversees national registries, which include large repositories of patient data, including 21,369 ECGs, 7,311 stress tests, and 6,685 echocardiograms. In this project, we aim to: 1) Develop an artificial intelligence (AI) platform to improve diagnostic accuracy; 2) Create risk prediction tools for inherited heart conditions; 3) Design a patient dashboard to support clinical decision-making. Combining ECG digital signals, imaging data, genetic sequencing, and anonymized clinical records, we will develop AI-driven diagnostic models. Our AI-platform will predict diagnoses for conditions, such as Long QT Syndrome, Brugada Syndrome, and Arrhythmogenic Cardiomyopathy. All information will be integrated to create patient dashboards with personalized clinical summaries, risk calculators (e.g., five-year sudden cardiac death risk), and insights to guide clinical decision-making. We expect that our AI platform will improve diagnostic certainty and provide more accurate risk assessment, enabling personalized patient care. Development and use of the platform will enhance our understanding of rare cardiac genetic conditions so that we can develop better treatment strategies for the future. Our team of experts in cardiac genetics and AI is uniquely positioned to carry out this work. This project represents a significant step towards precision medicine in cardiac genetics, leveraging advanced analytics based on AI to transform patient care and risk management.