The iPod Used To Make Heart Diagnose

03.26.07 - 11:46am

Doctors now have a new and impressive tool at their disposal that is fast becoming a requirement in diagnoses of the heart. The tool is the iPod. The reason is that listening to the heart, a skill known as cardiac auscultation, is only made perfect through repetition and the iPod offers a simply and easy way to record and pass on the sounds to others.

Dr Michael Barrett, a M.D. and clinical associate professor of medicine and cardiologist at Temple University School of Medicine and Hospital is a lead investigator in a study of heart sounds. The study was reported in the Temple Times, and documents how the repetitious hearing of heart sounds increases correct diagnoses.

In the study, Barrett had practicing physicians first take a test by listening to the heart sounds and then giving a diagnose. The physicians made a correct diagnose only 40% of the time. He then had them listen to the heart sounds over 400 times on an iPod as practice. When they again took the test they increased their ability to correctly identify abnormal heart sounds over 50 percent, as their scores jumped from 40 percent to 80 percent.

The jump was vital as learning and knowing the correct sounds will greatly reduce unnecessary testing as more proper diagnose is made. “It’s important to know when to order a costly echo cardiogram or stress test,” said Barrett. “Plus, internists are now tested on this skill for board recertification. Requirements for residents and other specialists are sure to follow.”

Since the study Barret has posted heart sounds online that are available for students to download as well as having specific heart sounds posted for each year of medical school. Barret has even released the heart sounds on a CD in partnership with the American College of cardiology. His goal was to offer a way for doctors to listen to the heart sounds during their commute.

“There are two times when a busy practitioner can learn a new skill: at professional meetings and during their work commute,” observed Barrett.

Category: iPod | Tags: diagnoses, heart_sounds, iPod, physicians