AI-Enabled Stethoscope Improves Valvular Disease Detection

In a 2026 prospective study published in the European Heart Journal Digital Health, researchers compared primary care auscultation with an FDA-cleared AI-enabled digital stethoscope across three clinics (June 2021–May 2023) in 357 at-risk adults. The AI system achieved 92.3% sensitivity versus 46.2% for standard care and identified twice as many previously undiagnosed moderate-to-severe valvular heart disease cases, though specificity fell (86.9% vs 95.6%), raising referral and utilization considerations.