An AI-powered digital stethoscope developed by a California-based medtech company called Eko Health has been found to detect heart conditions with significantly greater sensitivity than doctors using analogue stethoscopes in a trial with 200 UK GP practices. But the same study also found that 70% of these GP surgeries had stopped using them or were only using them infrequently a year after they were given them. In a conversation with HBI, Alfred Olivares and Nick Kovacev, who work for US technology consultancy HTEC, suggested some of the reasons for this, and the broader lessons for health tech companies trying to develop impactful AI tools.
September 19, 2025
