Eko: Digital Stethoscope + ECG

I bought my EKO Core 500 because of the sharing features, AI detection and more. Now just 2 months after the purchase EKO has decided to remove the features I paid for and downgraded the basic app to basically useless. I will not be paying for EKO+, I want the features I paid for.

I loved Eko before this latest update and let all of my colleagues know. I bragged about how great the EKO 500 was. Now with the new app update, they are charging a paid membership for services that have been included in the app complimentary for years. So I paid $400+ for this stethoscope, and now have to pay $112 a year to use the app functions they TOOK AWAY and are now making us pay for. It’s just absolutely greedy, slimey, and stingy. Absolutely not going to recommend to anyone anymore. So disappointed.

So you pay over 300 USD for a stethoscope that doesn’t really work that well for sound amplification or ambient noise suppression, but you remove features from the accompanying app that allow one to save the audio? Then add murmur detection and A-fib recognition, which are two of the easiest things to hear on cardiac auscultation for 112 USD per year?!! That’s a lot of money for rather useless features. No one who practices medicine is going to rely on those features without a 12 lead ekg and more professional testing (e.g., echo). It’s a novelty at best. And while we’re on the topic of novelty, how appropriate is it to remove the simple record and save feature? Someone might want to record their animal’s heart sounds, or a family member, and pass them around. For whatever reason, removing the recording ability seems pretty tacky.

I love that I am able to listen to 🫀and 🫁sounds without patients coughing directly in my face!!

Very helpful In my medical practice!

I love the Eko Core stethoscope and the companion Eko App. I recently saw a patient at our clinic who had an irregular rhythm. I was able to take a 3-lead EKG on the spot, securely message the PDF to her cardiologist, and then start a beta blocker and a NOAC. The whole process took maybe 10 minutes, and most of that time was explaining atrial fibrillation to her. Amazing. My only minor complaint is that I wish the volume settings for heart and lungs could be adjusted independently. Perhaps my hearing is not as good with lower frequencies, but I have to keep the volume on high for heart and on medium-low for lungs. Therefore, every time I switch from one mode to the other, I have to readjust the volume. Having a way to adjust the volume independently for each mode would be a nice enhancement.

I got this stethoscope because I’m hearing impaired. And then the pandemic hit. I used just the steth with a paired Bluetooth speaker and it made my life on the Covid unit so much better. The patients could hear what we’ve all been listening to. And I could put it in a glove, wrapped, and cruise into rooms. Also, because I could play it to Bluetooth speaker, the fact that I had on a PAPR didn’t matter. Best investment into my career! Sadly, this little guy has been through so much and is missing some plastic bits from being dropped or flung during dangerous patient encounters! Still works great but looks war-torn. Ready for a new one!

I have a hard time getting it to connect to my phone

This is truly the best stethoscope anyone can own. I will for sure order me another one if this one ever quits on me.

The device is spectacular! ….but a watch app would be the perfect pairing for prehospital (EMS) applications, BT audio to let patients (and student ride-along) hear what’s going on.