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The Glasgow Program

Automated 12-lead ECG interpretation — validated over 50 years, licensed worldwide

Developed at the University of Glasgow and refined over five decades, the Glasgow Program (Uni-G) is embedded in ECG machines, monitors, and defibrillators used internationally. It brings age-, sex-, and ethnicity-specific criteria and transparent, rule-based interpretation to every recording — backed by the Electrocardiology Section led by Professor Peter Macfarlane.

Glasgow Royal Infirmary, New Lister Building
50+ yrs
Continuous development
Millions
ECGs analysed worldwide
10+
Device manufacturers licensed
ISO 9001
Certified since 2003
The 12-lead ECG

What the Glasgow Program reads

A real recording, rendered to scale in the browser — the standard 3×4 layout with a lead-II rhythm strip, at 25 mm/s and 10 mm/mV. This is the signal Uni-G analyses beat by beat.

Example recording — atrial fibrillation — from PTB-XL (Wagner et al., Scientific Data 2020, record 00351), used under CC BY 4.0 via PhysioNet. Shown to illustrate the 12-lead signal; the interpretation label is the dataset’s own, not output of the Glasgow Program.

Flagship software

The Glasgow Program (Uni-G)

The Glasgow Program is an automated ECG interpretation system based on careful scientific research, with unique approaches to ECG analysis developed over 50 years of continuous development.

  • Age and Sex Based Criteria Extensive use of age and sex-specific reference ranges, valid from birth through adulthood including neonatal ECGs.
  • Racial Variation Race-based diagnostic criteria accounting for documented differences in ECG amplitudes across populations.
  • Clinical Context Optional integration of clinical diagnosis and drug therapy information to improve interpretation accuracy.
  • Serial Comparison Compare ECGs over time to detect evolving changes, critical for monitoring and research studies.

Actively developed at the University of Glasgow, including ongoing AI research by Dr Ioannis Valasakis (PhD, King’s College London). Meet the team.

Adopted by Leading Manufacturers

The Glasgow Program is licensed to medical device manufacturers internationally through the University of Glasgow.

Draeger
Spacelabs Healthcare
Since 1990s
Mindray
Since 2000s
Physio-Control (Stryker)
Since 2000s
BPL Medical Technologies
Since 2010s
Mediana
Since 2010s
Vitalograph
Since 2000s
Edan Instruments
Since 2010s
Compliance: IEC 60601-2-51 (ECG analysis requirements) · IEC 60601-2-25 (Electrocardiograph requirements) · ISO 9001:2015 (Quality management)

Current & Recent Studies

Epidemiological
AIRWAVEScottish Family Health StudyWhitehall II Phase 12
Collaborative
British Regional Heart StudyTromsø StudyLeiden 85+ELSA-BrasilMoli-sani
COVID-Related
COVID-HEARTCISCO-19
ISO 9001:2015 Certified
Quality management systems certification, assessed annually since 2003. UKAS accredited.
Clinical Trials Support

ECG Core Laboratory

The ECG Core Lab provides centralised electrocardiogram processing and interpretation for research studies, with ISO 9001:2015 certification maintained since 2003.

ECG Data Management Secure storage and retrieval of study ECGs in electronic and paper formats. Database systems supporting endpoint determination and serial comparison.
Automated Interpretation ECG interpretation using the Glasgow Program with reports reviewed by experienced staff.
Blinded Measurements Independent, blinded ECG measurement and interpretation for research endpoints.
Quality Feedback Feedback to study centres on ECG recording quality and data accuracy.

Research & Publications

Our research into automated ECG interpretation has resulted in numerous peer-reviewed publications and contributions to international guidelines.

Selected Publications

Methodology of ECG interpretation in the Glasgow program

Macfarlane PW, Devine B, Latif S, McLaughlin S, Shoat DB, Watts MP

Methods Inf Med, 1990

Evolution of the Glasgow program for computer-assisted reporting of electrocardiograms—1964/1998

Macfarlane PW

Acta Cardiol, 1998

Evaluation of the electrocardiographic criteria for left ventricular hypertrophy

Morrison I, Clark E, Macfarlane PW

Anadolu Kardiyol Derg, 2007

Assessment of ECG criteria for left ventricular hypertrophy

Localization of accessory pathways in the Wolff-Parkinson-White pattern — physician versus computer interpretation of the same algorithm

McGavigan AD, Clark E, Quinn FR, Rankin AC, Macfarlane PW

Pacing Clin Electrophysiol, 2007

Validation of WPW localisation algorithm

424
Publications
77
h-index
53K+
Citations
Including publications in Nature Communications, Circulation, The Lancet, and Journal of Electrocardiology

Books

Comprehensive Electrocardiology
Springer · 2nd Edition

Clinical Guidelines

Research from the Electrocardiology Section has contributed to ESC, ACC, and AHA guidelines for acute myocardial infarction diagnosis criteria.