CAC (gated) Algorithm vs EchoNext

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.
by BunkerHill Health
VS
by Pathway Labs

AI Verdict

Both tools are FDA-cleared AI solutions in cardiology, but they differ in their primary focus and input data. Tool A specializes in quantifying coronary artery calcium from cardiac CT scans to assess coronary artery health, while Tool B analyzes standard ECGs to detect hidden structural heart disease like heart failure and valve disease. Therefore, the choice between them depends on whether the clinical need is for detailed coronary artery assessment via CT or broader structural heart disease screening via ECG.

Choose CAC (gated) Algorithm if…

Choose BunkerHill Health's CAC (gated) Algorithm if your institution regularly performs non-contrast ECG-gated cardiac CT scans and you need automated, precise quantification of coronary artery calcium. This tool is ideal for streamlining radiologist workflows by pre-populating structured reports and aiding in the assessment of coronary artery health for patients aged 30 and above.

View CAC (gated) Algorithm →

Choose EchoNext if…

Choose Pathway Labs' EchoNext if your goal is to non-invasively screen a broad patient population for hidden structural heart disease, including heart failure, valve disease, and pulmonary hypertension, using standard 12-lead ECGs. This tool is particularly well-suited for early detection in routine care settings, potentially identifying at-risk patients before symptoms manifest and guiding further diagnostic evaluation.

View EchoNext →

Reviewed by Pouyan Golshani, MD — Interventional Radiologist

Quick Comparison

Feature CAC (gated) Algorithm EchoNext
Pricing Contact for pricing Starts at $600/month
Deployment Cloud Available through the OpenEvidence clinical decision support platform.
BAA Available Yes AI-estimated Yes AI-estimated
FDA Status Yes AI-estimated Yes AI-estimated
HIPAA Yes AI-estimated 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

EchoNext

EchoNext (Tool B) appears to have a slight edge in usability due to its deployment through the OpenEvidence clinical decision support platform, which is widely used by over half of US clinicians. This integration means physicians can access EchoNext's insights within a tool they already use, potentially reducing the learning curve and streamlining workflows. In contrast, while BunkerHill Health's CAC Algorithm integrates into standard workflows and pre-populates reports, its broader Carebricks platform is designed for health systems to build and deploy AI agents, which might imply a more complex initial setup or customization process for individual users.

Clinical Value

EchoNext

Both tools offer significant clinical value by aiding in the early detection of cardiovascular disease. However, EchoNext (Tool B) has demonstrated superior accuracy compared to cardiologists in identifying structural heart problems from ECGs alone, and has been credited with guiding care that led to the world's first heart transplant attributable to AI-based disease detection. The CAC (gated) Algorithm (Tool A) provides automatic detection and quantification of coronary artery calcium, which is crucial for assessing coronary artery health and supporting opportunistic detection of cardiovascular disease.

Pricing & Value

EchoNext

EchoNext (Tool B) offers transparent tiered pricing starting at $600/month, with options for different organizational sizes and an annual discount. This transparency allows potential users to better understand the cost implications upfront. The CAC (gated) Algorithm (Tool A) requires contacting BunkerHill Health for pricing, which offers less immediate transparency. While both provide value through early disease detection, EchoNext's clear pricing structure gives it an advantage in this dimension.

Enterprise Readiness

CAC (gated) Algorithm

BunkerHill Health's CAC (gated) Algorithm (Tool A) is part of the broader Carebricks platform, which is designed for health systems to create, share, and deploy AI agents across clinical and operational workflows, including integration with EHRs and automation of care coordination. This indicates a strong focus on enterprise-level deployment and scalability. While EchoNext (Tool B) is available through the widely used OpenEvidence platform, its description focuses more on individual clinician use rather than comprehensive health system workflow integration.

Innovation

EchoNext

EchoNext (Tool B) demonstrates higher innovation by being the first FDA-cleared AI tool to detect hidden structural heart disease from standard ECGs, a widely available and inexpensive test. This represents a novel approach to early detection of a broad range of cardiac conditions. While BunkerHill Health's CAC (gated) Algorithm (Tool A) is also FDA-cleared and innovative in its automated quantification of CAC from CT scans, EchoNext's application to ECGs for structural heart disease detection appears to be a more significant breakthrough in leveraging existing, ubiquitous diagnostic tools for new insights.

Support & Docs

Tie

Both tools are FDA-cleared and HIPAA compliant, suggesting a commitment to regulatory standards and data security. However, specific details regarding ongoing customer support, training options, and comprehensive documentation are not extensively provided for either tool in the given information. BunkerHill Health's CAC (gated) Algorithm mentions documentation, webinars, live online, onsite training, and certification options. Without comparable details for EchoNext, it is difficult to definitively pick a winner, resulting in a tie.

Feature-by-Feature

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

Feature CAC (gated) Algorithm EchoNext
Tool Name CAC (gated) Algorithm EchoNext
Company BunkerHill Health Pathway Labs
Description AI software that automatically detects and quantifies coronary artery calcium from non-contrast ECG-gated cardiac CT scans, aiding physicians in assessing coronary artery health. AI tool that analyzes standard ECGs to detect hidden structural heart disease, including heart failure, valve disease, and pulmonary hypertension.
Key Features Automatic detection and quantification of coronary artery calcium (CAC); Analysis of non-contrast ECG-gated cardiac CT scans; Provides calcium segmentation and quantification; Integrates into physicians' standard workflow; Pre-populates structured reports for radiologist review and approval; Aids in assessing coronary artery health; Supports opportunistic detection of cardiovascular disease; Part of the broader Carebricks platform for AI-powered workflows AI-powered ECG analysis; Detection of hidden structural heart disease; Identifies heart failure risk; Screens for valve disease; Detects pulmonary hypertension indicators; Utilizes standard 12-lead ECGs; FDA-cleared technology; Non-invasive diagnostic support
Specialties Cardiology, Radiology Cardiology, Family Medicine, Hospital Medicine, Internal Medicine

Videos

Demos, reviews, and walkthroughs featuring CAC (gated) Algorithm and EchoNext.

Loading videos…
Videos need JavaScript to load. Search YouTube directly →

View all on YouTube

Frequently Asked Questions

Tool A (BunkerHill Health's CAC Algorithm) is designed to integrate into physicians' standard workflows, pre-populating structured reports for radiologist review and approval. It offers integration with EHRs via FHIR, MyChart, PACS/imaging systems, and laboratory systems. Tool B (EchoNext) is available through the OpenEvidence clinical decision support platform, which is used by a large number of U.S. clinicians, allowing for integration into existing physician workflows at the point of care.
Tool A's CAC (gated) Algorithm demonstrated a Cohen's weighted kappa of 0.972 (95% CI 0.958, 0.987) for a 4-category score group assessment in its pivotal testing study, exceeding the primary acceptance criteria of 0.90. Tool B (EchoNext) correctly identified 77% of structural heart problems from ECGs alone in a 2025 study, compared to cardiologists achieving 64% accuracy on the same ECGs.
Tool A (CAC Algorithm) is primarily suited for Cardiology and Radiology, focusing on the automatic detection and quantification of coronary artery calcium from non-contrast ECG-gated cardiac CT scans to assess coronary artery health. Tool B (EchoNext) is designed for Cardiology, Family Medicine, Hospital Medicine, and Internal Medicine, analyzing standard ECGs to detect hidden structural heart disease, including heart failure, valve disease, and pulmonary hypertension.
Tool A (CAC Algorithm) integrates into standard workflows and pre-populates structured reports, suggesting a focus on review and approval rather than extensive new data input. Tool B (EchoNext) is available through the OpenEvidence platform, aiming to make the breakthrough in heart disease detection available where care happens, which implies an effort to minimize disruption and facilitate adoption within existing clinical decision support usage.
BunkerHill Health (Tool A) offers support through email, phone, chat, ticketing, and a community forum, with training options including documentation, webinars, live online sessions, onsite training, and certification. Pathway Labs (Tool B) aims to integrate EchoNext into real workflows across health systems at a national scale, suggesting a focus on practical implementation and support for broad adoption.
BunkerHill Health's Carebricks platform, which includes the CAC Algorithm, is designed for AI-powered workflows and has been adopted by health systems like UTMB Health to streamline systemwide workflows and scale best practices across specialties. Pathway Labs is actively working to get EchoNext into real workflows across real health systems at a national scale, partnering with OpenEvidence to expand its reach to a large number of U.S. clinicians.
BunkerHill Health's iCAC solution has helped health systems like HCA West Florida identify at-risk cardiac patients, with one case study showing 58.9% of patients receiving non-cardiac CTs had a CAC score u2265 100, and 4.0% were unaware of their condition. EchoNext detected previously undiagnosed heart failure in a 45-year-old patient that ultimately led to a heart transplant, marking the first peer-reviewed account of an AI-triggered heart transplant.
AI Tool Finder
AI-powered search. Results may not be comprehensive.