title: [Results of the automatic analysis of a group of 2,250 electrocardiograms examined with the HP4 system and supplied by 13 hospitals associated with a single computer center].
abstract: The reliability of the HP4 programme for automatic ECG reading has been studied. 13 Lombardy Hospitals together with the Italian Diagnostic Centre took part in the experiments. In each hospital, 170 ECG's were simultaneously recorded on paper and magnetic tape, a total of 2.252 examinations. The tapes were sent to the Italian Diagnostic Centre for processing. The ECG's were also examined by hospital cardiologists using their own criteria and by a cardiologist of the I.D.C. according to the HP4 programme criteria. The evaluation criteria were of two types: 1) according to a final synthetic judgment (normal, atypical, at the limit of the normal, abnormal); 2) according to the type of pathology (arrythmia, left ventricular hypertrophy, infarction, repolarization alterations, intraventricular conduction disturbances). The data obtained in this study showed the reliability of the HP4 programme for screening the population, for use in Cardiology Departments (hospital or out-clinics) and in Social Cardiology centres. Its practical use is excluded (as are most of the programmes on the market) where a specific diagnosis in particular types of pathology is required (e.g. coronary units, cardiology division, etc.) The cardiologist is irreplaceable although this equipment provides him with a considerable aid for the performance of his work.
mesh_terms: D003936:Diagnosis, Computer-Assisted; D004562:Electrocardiography; D006331:Heart Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis*; D006755:Hospital Shared Services; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy
vernacular_title: Risultati dell'analisi automatica di un gruppo di 2250 elettrocardiogrammi esaminati con il sistema HP4 e provenienti da 13 ospedali consorziati con un unico Centro di calcolo