This article is more than 5 years old. Information may no longer be current.
More patient-physician communication recommended before ICD placement
Click Here to Manage Email Alerts
Physicians fail to fully address the psychosocial impact and long-term risks of implanting cardioverter defibrillators, new research suggests.
Researchers at Saint Louis University School of Medicine conducted a study of 41 patients (21 women; mean age, 61 years) with ICDs and 11 cardiologists. The participants took part in focus groups and standardized interviews.
According to Paul J. Hauptman, MD, and colleagues, patient and physician communication about ICDs was characterized by unclear representation and omission of information to patients, with notable lack of attention to psychological and long-term risks.
Eighty percent of patients reported no discussion about periprocedural risks or potential long-term complications. Based on a scale of 1 to 10, with the lowest score indicating an overall lack of information before implantation, the mean score of the patients was 5.7.
In more than 17 of 22 patient interviews, cardiologists did not address or minimized or denied quality-of-life issues and long-term consequences of ICD placement, such as risks for depression, anxiety and inappropriate delivery of shock or device therapy. In 15 of 22 patient interviews, cardiologists used jargon or unexplained medical terms, according to the study abstract.
These data “provide further insight into the patient experience,” Hauptman and colleagues said. “Given the high volume of ICD implant procedures, the present findings suggest that failure to fully engage patients in bidirectional communication may be widespread.”
The development and validation of questions to identify patients at risk for quality-of-life issues after implantation is important, according to the researchers.
Disclosure: The researchers report no relevant financial disclosures.
Click Here to Manage Email Alerts