Harnessing the Power of AI: A Comprehensive Review of Left Ventricular Ejection Fraction Assessment With Echocardiography

The quantification of left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) has important clinical utility in the assessment of cardiac function and is vital for the diagnosis of cardiovascular diseases. A transthoracic echocardiogram serves as the most commonly used tool for LVEF assessment for several reasons, including, its noninvasive nature, great safety profile, real-time image processing ability, portability, and cost-effectiveness. However, transthoracic echocardiogram is highly dependent on the clinical skill of the sonographer and interpreting physician. Moreover, even amongst well-trained clinicians, significant interobserver variability exists in the quantification of LVEF. In search of possible solutions, the usage of artificial intelligence (AI) has been increasingly tested in the clinical setting. While AI-derived ejection fraction is in the preliminary stages of development, it has shown promise in its ability to rapidly quantify LVEF, decrease variability, increase accuracy, and utilize higher-order processing capabilities. This review will delineate the latest advancements of AI in evaluating LVEF through echocardiography and explore the challenges and future trajectory of this emerging domain.