New Smartphone App Devised for Cardiac Imaging Test

New application (app) mobile telephone technology is designed to give physicians access to published criteria used to evaluate the need for a patient to have cardiac radionuclide imaging (RNI).

The app will be available for free download on the iPhone (developed by of Apple, Inc., Cuppertino, CA, USA), Blackberry (developed by Research In Motion Limited, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada), and Android smartphone platforms (developed by Google, Mountain View, CA, USA). Astellas Pharma U.S., Inc. (Deerfield, IL, USA) announced the launch of the Appropriate Use Criteria (AUC) for cardiac radionuclide imaging app for smartphones.

The Appropriate Use Criteria (AUC) for Cardiac Radionuclide Imaging app was adapted from the ACCF/ASNC/ACR/AHA/ASE/SCCT/SCMR/SNM 2009 Appropriate Use Criteria (AUC) for Cardiac Radionuclide Imaging (RNI) published in 2009 in the journal Circulation. The AUC for RNI describes 67 individual patient indications, 8 indication categories, and 5 algorithms.

The app guides physicians through the criteria to assess patient history, clinical factors, and other important information to receive an instant appropriate use score for RNI. By entering information, physicians will receive a rating on a scale of 1-9 suggesting if the patient indication is appropriate (7-9), uncertain (4-6), or inappropriate (1-3) for RNI. Ratings can be viewed either by indication/category or patient algorithm.

According to a recent study of physicians and healthcare technology released in April 2010, 72% of physicians use smart phones personally and professionally, with that number expected to jump to 81% in 2012. "Astellas recognizes physicians are increasingly using smartphones and apps in the healthcare setting to access information,” said Robert C. Hendel, M.D., FACC, FAHA, FASNC, and chair of the Cardiac Radionuclide Imaging Writing Group that developed the 2009 AUC for RNI. "We partnered with them to develop this accurate, timely, assessment tool for use on smartphones and hope this app will promote awareness and use of the AUC for RNI published in 2009,” Dr. Hendel continued.

A preview and interactive demonstration of the app took place September 25, 2010, in conjunction with ASNC 2010: The 15th annual scientific session of the American Society of Nuclear Cardiology in Philadelphia, PA, USA.

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