In conversation with Priya Abani, Chief Executive Officer, AliveCor - a global leader in electrocardiography making its entry in India

1. What is the objective of AliveCor in India?

Our expansion into India furthers our mission of providing remote heart care to those who need it most—all at their fingertips. And in a country like India, where more than 250 million people are at risk for heart disease, we aim to improve patient outcomes and reduce healthcare costs by making our personal ECG technology accessible from the comfort of home. It’s no secret that digital health is growing, and we plan to play a leading role in this movement with the introduction of innovative technology that will transform the way we care for our hearts.

2. Please tell us about AliveCor

AliveCor is headquartered in Silicon Valley, California, but we have employees all over the world—including here in India. Our company was founded 2011, and we are now a global leader in AI-based personal ECG technology. We have developed cutting-edge devices and services that help people around the world track their heart activity from home.

Our medical-grade personal ECGs, KardiaMobile and KardiaMobile 6L, can detect the most common arrhythmias—atrial fibrillation, bradycardia, and tachycardia—in just 30 seconds. And our technology has over 100 peer-reviewed studies, making Kardia devices the most clinically validated personal ECGs in the world.

3. How does a portable device like KardiaMobile reassure optimal clinical control and caters to the need for safe out-of-hospital management through remote patient management in India?

KardiaMobile serves a critical function in the need for remote patient management in India. Our devices use machine learning to detect arrhythmias quickly and efficiently with 98% sensitivity and 97% specificity. This gives patients and physicians fast and highly reliable data that can be easily used to influence a care plan.

Also, a large portion of the Indian population resides in rural areas, which can make a trip to the hospital or doctor’s office a significant challenge. But with KardiaMobile, people can capture medical-grade heart data from home, work, the park—anywhere. You can get an instant analysis of your heart activity, which you can then send to your doctor with the press of a button. And since our ECGs are medical-grade, doctors can make a range of additional diagnoses that will help influence treatment decisions and care plans.

4. Please tell us about the focus on how a hassle-free, portable, cost-effective ECG device has been creating wonders across the world and is now going to revolutionize cardiac care in India.

KardiaMobile doesn’t require any patches, wires, or gels like a traditional ECG machine, and it’s very easy to use. Place your fingers on the device’s two electrodes and watch the recording on your smartphone. In 30 seconds, you will get an instant analysis of your ECG. The great thing is, people can record an ECG with KardiaMobile the moment they feel a symptom, which allows them to capture events that may not be present during a doctor’s appointment.

And our devices help doctors gather real-time heart data for their patients entirely remotely. Access to this data allows doctors to make informed patient care decisions without requiring an in-person visit. With our technology, we are improving accessibility to reliable, intuitive heart care for those who need it most, and we are excited to see the impact it has on India.

5. What are the benefits of KardiaMobile and how is it a game-changer in the current pandemic scenario and how does it empower patients in monitoring and understanding their heart rhythm?

The pandemic has made digital health more important than ever. With stay-at-home and social distancing guidelines in place, many people are uncomfortable going in public for fear of exposure. For heart patients, this could pose a health risk if they aren’t able to routinely check in on their heart. But with KardiaMobile, people can track their heart activity from home—no office visit required. This capability has been incredibly important for not only reducing risk of infection, but for continuing critical care outside the walls of the hospital. And what’s clear now, is that this movement towards digital health is not just a trend—it’s an evolution in the way we care for ourselves and an evolution of the healthcare system at large.

6. Please tell us about the focus on how technology boosts the ability to detect a broad range of cardiac conditions without visiting a doctor and at the comfort of your home?

As I mentioned earlier, our AI-based algorithms can detect the most common arrhythmias and will provide instant analysis right to your smartphone. And with our newest device, KardiaMobile 6L, users can record a six-lead ECG—in fact, it’s the only US FDA-cleared six-lead personal ECG in the world. Six leads means more data for you and your physician, providing a more comprehensive view of your heart activity. These extra leads, specifically the availability of Lead II, will help physicians make additional diagnoses beyond what can be viewed with Lead I, such as QTc prolongation and atrial flutter.