A new Israeli smartphone app analyzes users’ voices and sounds alarms before the onset of heart failure.
By United with Israel Staff
A new Israeli app called HearO analyzes voice samples recorded on smartphones to detect imminent signs of heart failure.
HearO is the first app of its kind capable of picking up on changes in speech patterns that diverge from normal, healthy vocal expressions. These irregular speech markers set off alerts that are sent to doctors who can then take necessary measures to mitigate risks or address imminent crises.
Based on the results of a recent study conducted in conjunction with world-class Israeli medical facilities Beilinson Hospital, Barzilai Medical Center and Galilee Medical Center, HearO could be a major game-changer.
During the course of the study, 180 patients recorded more than 460,000 voice samples over the course of two years, reported Times of Israel. The patients used HearO at home, recording voice samples in Hebrew, Russian, and Arabic.
The results of the study indicated that the app predicted 82% of relapses in recovered patients before they happened, detecting warning signs on average two and a half weeks before an incident.
The app’s alerts permit doctors to alter medication courses or more closely monitor at-risk patients.
Tamir Tal, CEO of HearO’s parent company Cordio Medical, told Times of Israel this week that the app can “dramatically decrease the number of hospitalizations from congestive heart failure,” and ultimately save lives.