Dr. Jon-David Schwalm, MD, MSc

CCTA

for Coronary Artery Disease

Coronary artery disease (CAD) is a leading cause of death. The gold-standard test used to diagnose CAD is invasive coronary angiography (ICA). However, nearly half the patients who receive ICA are found to have no disease or non-significant disease. This means that while they receive a diagnosis, they do not receive any therapeutic benefit. This is concerning because ICA is expensive and it carries a risk to patients. A non-invasive diagnostic test, cardiac computed tomographic angiography (CCTA), has been shown to be as effective as ICA at diagnosing CAD in the right patient population, while being less expensive and less risky for patients. An optimal solution would involve screening to identify which patients are good candidates for CCTA vs. which should receive ICA. This screening tool could be used in a triage pathway to ensure that every patient gets the test that is best for them. The investigators have used Artificial Intelligence (AI) to develop a model for determining which patients should receive ICA vs. which should receive CCTA. The investigators have also developed a triage pathway to direct patients to the most appropriate test. The investigators now plan to evaluate the AI tool combined with the triage pathway through a clinical trial at Hamilton Health Sciences and Niagara Health. This model of care will reduce risk to patients, reduce wait times for ICA and reduce costs to the health care system.