EP 4: Bringing Handheld Ultrasound to Cardiac Care

On today’s episode of the Ultrasound Powered Clinician, Ohad speaks with Dr. Zachary Laksman, a Cardiologist and Heart Rhythm Specialist at The University of British Columbia, with a background in cardiogenetics. He is also the director of St. Paul’s Hospital's Atrial Fibrillation Clinic and the British Columbia Inherited Arrhythmia Clinic.

Topics mentioned: 

• What attracted Dr. Laksman to portable ultrasound for his practice.
• The differences between traditional echocardiogram and handheld ultrasound, and how handheld ultrasound allows for more focused, question-based, immediate care.
• The data revolution in portable devices and wearables, and how it's changing patient care.
• The benefits to patients who can see their own heart and get answers to their questions in real-time, without having to rely on static charts and diagrams.
• How machine learning and artificial intelligence will benefit cardiac care today and into the future.
• The meeting point between imaging and genetic data, and how ultrasound can help identify underlying conditions that could benefit from genetic testing.
• Advice for practitioners who have yet to adopt portable ultrasound.

Resources:

• St. Paul’s Hospital
• Dr. Laksman on Twitter