Handheld AI-guided heart ultrasound to find heart valve disease earlier in older adults
Tests AI-guided handheld heart ultrasound to detect heart disease earlier in older adults.
Plain-language title generated from the registry record
Registry title: Importance of Point-of-Care Ultrasound for Early Detection of Valvular and Cardiac Diseases (IMPROVE)
Key facts
- Where
- Dallas, United StatesSee the 2 sites
Could this be for you?
Answer for yourself. This is not a decision: only the study team can say whether you can take part.
- Are you between 65 and 85 years old?
Source: NCT07756398, who can take part
Where in United States
- Parkland HealthDallas, United StatesNo longer taking part
- University of Texas Southwestern Medical CenterDallas, United StatesNo longer taking part
Questions to ask the study team
- How often do I need to come in, and for how long each time?
- Are travel costs paid?
- Can I keep my own doctor?
- What happens if I want to stop?
Trial details
- Who runs it
- University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center
- Trial code
- NCT07756398
- Record updated
- 3 November 2026
- Original description
Heart valve disease and weakened heart muscle (left ventricular systolic dysfunction) are common in older adults and often go undetected until serious complications such as heart failure develop. Detection currently depends on a clinician hearing a murmur and then ordering an echocardiogram, which is easily missed or delayed.Read full original descriptionShow less
Importance of Point-of-Care Ultrasound for Early Detection of Valvular and Cardiac Diseases (IMPROVE)
Heart valve disease and weakened heart muscle (left ventricular systolic dysfunction) are common in older adults and often go undetected until serious complications such as heart failure develop. Detection currently depends on a clinician hearing a murmur and then ordering an echocardiogram, which is easily missed or delayed.
This study tests whether a brief, artificial intelligence (AI)-guided handheld heart ultrasound - point-of-care ultrasound, or POCUS - performed by trained clinic staff during a routine visit identifies these conditions earlier than usual care.
Primary care and geriatrics providers, rather than individual patients, are assigned by chance to one of two groups. Patients seen by providers in the AI-ultrasound group are offered a POCUS scan and a one-time blood test at their regular visit, and are referred for a confirmatory echocardiogram if the scan is abnormal. Patients seen by providers in the usual care group receive standard clinic care. Researchers will compare how often previously undiagnosed structural heart disease is newly identified in each group.
Inclusion: Provider (cluster) participants:; Physician or advanced practice provider (physician assistant or nurse practitioner) practicing in primary care or geriatrics at a participating institution who independently assesses patients; Patient panel comprising >50% adults aged 65 years or older; Sees patients in ambulatory clinic at least 1 day per week on average; Agrees to participate, to undergo randomization, and to permit inclusion of all eligible patients from the panel; Provides written informed consent; Patient participants:; Adults aged 65 to 85 years, inclusive; Attending a scheduled outpatient visit at a participating geriatrics or primary care clinic; Willing and able to provide written informed consent and, if the AI-POCUS screen is positive, to return for a confirmatory echocardiogram.
Exclusion: History of surgical or transcatheter intervention for aortic or mitral valve disease; Self-reported structural heart disease; At least moderate aortic or mitral valve disease, or left ventricular ejection fraction 50% or less, documented on any prior echocardiogram; Provider (cluster) participants:; Serving in a locum tenens or other temporary capacity; Unwilling or unable to nominate an AI-POCUS champion from the clinic; Patient participants:; Echocardiogram performed within the past 5 years; Significant frailty burden or comorbidities limiting life expectancy to; 1 year or less; Unable to provide informed consent.