Cardiac Guidance vs Tempus ECG-AF

Similar category, different focus. These tools serve overlapping but distinct needs. Comparability 65/100 Comparability is an AI-graded 0–100 score of how directly these two tools compete — higher means a more apples-to-apples comparison.

Cardiac Guidance

by Caption Health

Tempus ECG-AF

by Tempus AI, Inc.

AI Verdict

Tool A, Cardiac Guidance, focuses on real-time AI assistance for acquiring and interpreting cardiac ultrasound images at the point of care, democratizing access to echocardiography. In contrast, Tool B, Tempus ECG-AF, analyzes 12-lead ECG recordings to identify patients at increased risk of developing atrial fibrillation within 12 months. While both are FDA-cleared AI tools in cardiology, they address different diagnostic modalities and distinct clinical needs within cardiac care.

Choose Cardiac Guidance if…

Choose Cardiac Guidance if your clinical setting requires real-time, diagnostic-quality cardiac ultrasound imaging performed at the point of care, particularly by healthcare professionals who may not be expert sonographers. This tool is ideal for immediate assessment of cardiac function and morphology, guiding users with turn-by-turn instructions and automating image acquisition and interpretation, such as left ventricular ejection fraction calculation.

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Choose Tempus ECG-AF if…

Choose Tempus ECG-AF if your objective is to proactively identify patients aged 65 or older, without pre-existing atrial fibrillation, who are at an increased risk of developing new-onset atrial fibrillation/flutter within the next 12 months. This AI-based algorithm analyzes standard 12-lead ECG recordings to support earlier identification and follow-up for high-risk individuals, integrating with existing cardiology systems.

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Reviewed by Pouyan Golshani, MD — Interventional Radiologist

Quick Comparison

Feature	Cardiac Guidance	Tempus ECG-AF
Pricing	Unknown	Contact vendor
Deployment	Caption Guidance is deployed in acute point-of-care settings, including emergency and anesthesiology departments and critical care units. It is also used in doctors' offices and can be used for at-home care.	Software solution, integrated into healthcare facility systems with advanced cardiology algorithms.
BAA Available	Unknown	Yes AI-estimated
FDA Status	Cleared AI-estimated	Yes AI-estimated
HIPAA	Unknown	Yes AI-estimated

Head-to-Head

AI-generated assessment across six dimensions based on each tool's documented features and compliance posture. Grounded in public data — not a substitute for hands-on evaluation.

Usability

Cardiac Guidance

Cardiac Guidance (Tool A) is designed to empower non-expert ultrasound users with real-time AI guidance, turn-by-turn instructions, and automated quality assessment for image acquisition. This focus on simplifying a complex procedure for a broader user base makes it highly usable. Tempus ECG-AF (Tool B) is an integrated software solution for analysis, which, while valuable, does not involve the same level of direct, guided user interaction for data generation.

Clinical Value

Cardiac Guidance

Cardiac Guidance (Tool A) offers immediate diagnostic capability at the point of care, democratizing access to critical cardiac assessments and providing automated EF calculation and support for standard echocardiographic views. While Tempus ECG-AF (Tool B) provides valuable predictive risk assessment for AF, Tool A's ability to enable real-time, diagnostic-quality imaging by a wider range of healthcare professionals offers a broader and more immediate clinical impact on patient care and access to diagnostics.

Pricing & Value

Tempus ECG-AF

Tempus ECG-AF (Tool B) explicitly states that CMS reimbursement is available, with specific CPT codes and a Medicare rate, providing a clear financial pathway for adoption and demonstrating tangible economic value for healthcare providers. Cardiac Guidance (Tool A) only lists 'contact vendor' for pricing, offering no transparency or immediate indication of reimbursement opportunities, which can be a barrier to adoption for healthcare systems.

Enterprise Readiness

Tie

Both Cardiac Guidance (Tool A) and Tempus ECG-AF (Tool B) demonstrate strong enterprise readiness, being FDA-cleared, HIPAA compliant, and offering Business Associate Agreements (BAAs). Both are designed for integration into existing healthcare facility systems, whether as a software accessory for ultrasound systems or as a solution integrated with cardiology algorithms. Neither tool presents a clear advantage in this dimension based on the provided information.

Innovation

Cardiac Guidance

Cardiac Guidance (Tool A) showcases significant innovation by providing real-time, turn-by-turn AI guidance for cardiac ultrasound image acquisition, effectively enabling non-expert users to perform diagnostic-quality scans. This represents a novel application of AI to a procedural skill. Tempus ECG-AF (Tool B) is innovative in its predictive analytics for AF risk, but real-time procedural guidance for image acquisition is a more groundbreaking application of AI in the clinical workflow.

Support & Docs

Tie

The provided structured facts do not contain specific details regarding the depth, quality, or availability of support and documentation for either Cardiac Guidance (Tool A) or Tempus ECG-AF (Tool B). While both companies are established, without comparative information, it is not possible to definitively pick a winner in this dimension. Web searches for both products indicate general customer support resources, but no specific differentiating factors for documentation or support quality were found.

Feature-by-Feature

Detail beyond the Quick Comparison summary. For pricing, deployment, BAA, FDA, and HIPAA see the Overview tab.

Feature	Cardiac Guidance	Tempus ECG-AF
Tool Name	Cardiac Guidance	Tempus ECG-AF
Company	Caption Health	Tempus AI, Inc.
Primary Function	AI tool for acquiring and interpreting diagnostic-quality cardiac ultrasound images at the point of care.	AI-based algorithm that analyzes 12-lead ECG recordings to identify patients at increased risk of developing atrial fibrillation/flutter (AF) within the next 12 months.
Target Patient Population	Not specified	Patients aged 65 or older without pre-existing AF, pacemakers, ICDs, or recent cardiac surgery.
Supported Modality/Input	Cardiac ultrasound images	12-lead ECG recordings (from GE Medical Systems and Philips Medical Systems)
Key Output/Detection	Real-time AI guidance for cardiac ultrasound image acquisition, automated quality assessment, auto-capture of diagnostic-quality images, automated left ventricular ejection fraction (EF) calculation.	Detects signs associated with new onset Atrial Fibrillation (AF) within 12 months.

Videos

Demos, reviews, and walkthroughs featuring Cardiac Guidance and Tempus ECG-AF.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is the primary clinical application of each tool?

Cardiac Guidance (Tool A) is designed to empower healthcare professionals to acquire and interpret diagnostic-quality cardiac ultrasound images at the point of care, including automated left ventricular ejection fraction (EF) calculation. Tempus ECG-AF (Tool B) analyzes 12-lead ECG recordings to identify patients aged 65 or older at increased risk of developing atrial fibrillation/flutter (AF) within the next 12 months.

What type of data or input does each tool utilize?

Cardiac Guidance (Tool A) utilizes real-time cardiac ultrasound images, providing turn-by-turn on-screen probe movement instructions. Tempus ECG-AF (Tool B) analyzes standard 12-lead ECG recordings, compatible with FDA authorized resting 12-lead ECGs from GE Medical Systems and Philips Medical Systems.

What are the specific patient populations for which each tool is intended?

Cardiac Guidance (Tool A) is indicated for use in two-dimensional transthoracic echocardiography for adult patients. Tempus ECG-AF (Tool B) is intended for patients aged 65 or older without pre-existing AF, pacemakers, ICDs, or recent cardiac surgery.

How does each tool integrate into existing clinical workflows?

Cardiac Guidance (Tool A) is deployed as a software accessory integrated with compatible general-purpose diagnostic ultrasound systems (e.g., GE HealthCare Venue Family, Vscan Air SL, Terason uSmart 3200t Plus). Tempus ECG-AF (Tool B) is a software solution integrated into healthcare facility systems with advanced cardiology algorithms, designed to work with existing ECG platforms and EHRs.

Does either tool offer specific reimbursement pathways?

Cardiac Guidance (Tool A) does not have specific reimbursement information provided in the facts. Tempus ECG-AF (Tool B) has CMS reimbursement available, with CPT 0764T and CPT 0765T assigned to APC 5734, with a Medicare rate of $128.90, effective January 1, 2025.

What level of user expertise is required to operate each tool effectively?

Cardiac Guidance (Tool A) is designed for use by non-expert ultrasound users, providing real-time AI guidance for image acquisition. Tempus ECG-AF (Tool B) provides results that should be interpreted by clinicians in conjunction with other diagnostic information and clinical history.