Open AccessPerformance of Computer‐Assisted Analysis of ECG Tests in Health Examinations and Heart Disease Risk in the Normal Working Population
Author(s) -
Katsuyama Hironobu,
Tsuchiya Goro,
Sunami Shigeo,
Saijoh Kiyofumi
Publication year - 2001
Publication title -
journal of occupational health
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.664
H-Index - 59
ISSN - 1348-9585
DOI - 10.1539/joh.43.254
Subject(s) - medicine , medical diagnosis , seriousness , population , disease , physical therapy , cardiology , environmental health , pathology , political science , law
Performance of Computer‐Assisted Analysis of ECG Tests in Health Examinations and Heart Disease Risk in the Normal Working Population: Hironobu Katsuyama, et al. Department of Public Health, Kawasaki Medical School— Performance of ECGs in health examinations was examined to compare the accuracy of diagnoses made by occupational health physicians (OHPs) with those made by computer‐assisted analysis. Approximately 15‐20% of shipbuilders aged 35 or over with satisfactory performance of their duties at work had any ECG findings. The computer results differed from those of the OHPs with regard to the seriousness of Hypertrophy and the number of Ischemic changes , mainly due to differences in the decision algorithm. Further medical examinations revealed that diagnoses by the OHPs were comprehensive enough to reflect conditions of clinical importance, whereas the computer results were characterized by numerous false negatives. Continuous health examination with ECG testing found approximately 7.3% of the workers could have suffered from some cardiovascular disorder within five years. Computer‐assisted analysis is therefore useful in health examinations but a decision algorithm suitable for screening should be established to reduce the false negative rate and increase reliability.