Updated critical quality criteria for real-world artificial intelligence implementation
Evangelos K. Oikonomou, Folkert Wouter Asselbergs, Panos E. Vardas · European Heart Journal · 2026
To enhance the clinical translation of artificial intelligence (AI) in cardiovascular medicine, we encourage authors of manuscripts describing new AI models to outline their path towards implementation. Building on the five critical quality criteria for AI-based prediction models published in the European Heart Journal in 2023, we propose five complementary critical quality criteria to enable responsible AI implementation in routine care. These span a comprehensive evaluation of the clinical decision context, clinical usefulness, human-AI interface, scalability, and lifecycle management. We hope that these principles will enable researchers to better frame the path towards clinical integration of their models.