TY - JOUR
T1 - "Just because we can doesn't mean we should"
T2 - Views of nurses on deactivation of pacemakers and implantable cardioverter-defibrillators
AU - Kramer, Daniel B.
AU - Ottenberg, Abigale L.
AU - Gerhardson, Samantha
AU - Mueller, Luke A.
AU - Kaufman, Sharon R.
AU - Koenig, Barbara A.
AU - Mueller, Paul S.
N1 - Funding Information:
Funding The study was funded by a grant received by Dr. Mueller, the Mayo Clinic Scholarly Opportunity Award. Dr. Kramer was supported in part by a pilot grant from Harvard Catalyst, The Harvard Clinical and Translational Science Center (NIH grant #1 UL1 RR 025758-02 and financial contributions from participating institutions).
PY - 2011/12
Y1 - 2011/12
N2 - Purpose: This study aims to identify nurses' concerns about the clinical, ethical, and legal aspects of deactivating cardiovascular implantable electronic devices (CIEDs). Methods: We used focus groups to discuss decision making in CIED management. Results: Fourteen nurses described the informed consent process as overly focused on procedures, with inadequate coverage of living with a device (e.g., infection risks and device shocks). Elderly patients were especially vulnerable to physician or family pressure about CIED implantation. Nurses believed that initial advance care planning discussions were infrequent and rarely revisited when health status changed. Many patients did not know that CIEDs could be deactivated; it was often addressed reactively (i.e., after multiple shocks) or when patients became too ill to participate in decision making. Nurses generally were supportive of CIED deactivation when it was requested by a well-informed patient. However, nurses distinguished between withholding versus withdrawing treatment (i.e., turning off CIEDs vs. declining implantation). Although most patients viewed their device as lifesaving, others perceived them as a "ticking time bomb." Conclusions: Nurses identified concerns about CIED decision making from implantation through end-of-life care and device deactivation and suggested avenues for improving patient care including early and regular advance care planning.
AB - Purpose: This study aims to identify nurses' concerns about the clinical, ethical, and legal aspects of deactivating cardiovascular implantable electronic devices (CIEDs). Methods: We used focus groups to discuss decision making in CIED management. Results: Fourteen nurses described the informed consent process as overly focused on procedures, with inadequate coverage of living with a device (e.g., infection risks and device shocks). Elderly patients were especially vulnerable to physician or family pressure about CIED implantation. Nurses believed that initial advance care planning discussions were infrequent and rarely revisited when health status changed. Many patients did not know that CIEDs could be deactivated; it was often addressed reactively (i.e., after multiple shocks) or when patients became too ill to participate in decision making. Nurses generally were supportive of CIED deactivation when it was requested by a well-informed patient. However, nurses distinguished between withholding versus withdrawing treatment (i.e., turning off CIEDs vs. declining implantation). Although most patients viewed their device as lifesaving, others perceived them as a "ticking time bomb." Conclusions: Nurses identified concerns about CIED decision making from implantation through end-of-life care and device deactivation and suggested avenues for improving patient care including early and regular advance care planning.
KW - Device deactivation
KW - Ethics
KW - Implantable cardioverter-defibrillators
KW - Nursing
KW - Pacemakers
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U2 - 10.1007/s10840-011-9596-7
DO - 10.1007/s10840-011-9596-7
M3 - Article
C2 - 21805140
AN - SCOPUS:84855590123
SN - 1383-875X
VL - 32
SP - 243
EP - 252
JO - Journal of Interventional Cardiac Electrophysiology
JF - Journal of Interventional Cardiac Electrophysiology
IS - 3
ER -