During the pandemic, some medical professionals are proactively moving from the traditional stress test to a cardiac CT scan first approach. Using cardiac CT scans, patients can now be diagnosed with CAD within a matter of hours and within one hospital visit. Initial clinical visit discussions can be conducted virtually and the CT scan, which takes approximately 90 minutes at the hospital and requires minimal patient interaction with the clinical team, provides the physician the data they need to rule out CAD. Additionally, after ruling out CAD, physicians are able to investigate other cardiovascular concerns (e.g., myocarditis).

For patients with CAD, layering the CT scan with AI-powered technology enables clinicians to obtain additional actionable patient information from a brief, non-invasive cardiac test. There are AI-enabled algorithms which accurately analyze cardiac CT images and provide physicians with information about the extent to which a blockage is limiting blood flow. This information helps physicians determine a definitive treatment plan, and identify which patients can be managed medically, and which require more invasive treatment.


Navigating questions such as clinical appropriateness, patient impact and financial value will be vital to the adoption of potentially life-saving, AI-enabled services. Strong clinical evidence demonstrates that innovations using advanced technology can help deliver better patient outcomes and lower healthcare costs. Not only that, but using hard, clear data will allow more open conversations between patients and physicians, to help communicate and improve understanding surrounding diagnosis and treatment. It also helps to address historic biases that have kept many patients from reaching out to receive care.

All of this is to say that COVID-19 has necessitated our acceptance of some technologies faster than ever before to better care for patients. Hopefully this experience will help increase adoption of future technologies quicker, allowing us to live healthier, happier lives moving forward.

About the author: Dr. Charley Taylor is a co-founder, chief technology officer (CTO), and member of the board of directors of HeartFlow Inc. Previously, he was an associate professor in the Department of Bioengineering and Surgery at Stanford University with courtesy faculty appointments in the Departments of Mechanical Engineering and Radiology, and is internationally recognized for the development of computer modeling and imaging techniques for cardiovascular disease research, device design and treatment planning.

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