Multidisciplinary Approach for High-risk Patients Leading to Early Diagnosis of Canadians With Heart Failure

In the MAPLE-CHF trial, patients will be screened for HF risk factors using electronic medical records of participating family physicians to identify patients with potentially undiagnosed HF. Participants will then undergo a diagnostic evaluation using a blood sample for a hormone specific to the heart, the natriuretic peptide or NT-proBNP; if elevated, a portable cardiac ultrasound (ECHO) with artificial intelligence (AI) interpretation will be done; both NT-proBNP and ECHO are required for diagnosis in patients with signs and symptoms suggestive of HF. This screening ECHO coupled with AI reading from Us2.ai provides a fast, reliable, and inexpensive report, which is particularly important in our context, where waiting lists for such examinations can reach up to one year.