A Digital Decision Aid for Older Adults Considering a Defibrillator Implant
Tests an app helping older heart failure patients decide about an implantable defibrillator.
Plain-language title generated from the registry record
Registry title: Evaluating a Digital Aid to Improve ICD Decisions
Key facts
- Where
- Greenville and San Francisco, United StatesSee the 2 sites
Where in United States
- Eastern Carolina UniversityGreenville, United StatesTaking people
- University of California San FranciscoSan Francisco, United StatesTaking people
Questions to ask the study team
- How often do I need to come in, and for how long each time?
- Are travel costs paid?
- Can I keep my own doctor?
- What happens if I want to stop?
Trial details
- Who runs it
- Stanford University
- Trial code
- NCT07913204
- Record updated
- 3 November 2026
- Original description
Advanced heart failure, affecting 7 million Americans, has multiple causes and results in greatly increased risk of disability and death. A major problem is sudden cardiac death, when the damaged heart develops an abnormal pattern of electrical conduction that can result in cessation of heart activity. While placement of an Implantable Cardioverter-Defibrillator (ICD) in a patient's chest can help prevent sudden cardiac death, these devices have several important downsides. This protocol focuses on development of a digital decision aid that helps heart failure patients make informed decisions that balance the benefits and downsides of ICD placement. This protocol covers the use of participant surveys, focus groups, and interviews to obtain the needed background information to guide the development of this digital tool, which will be subsequently tested against usual care in a randomized clinical trial. The study design is best described as a mixed methods evaluation and refinement of a digital app to improve ICD decision-making. In the future, the present protocol will be modified to create a new protocol that covers the needed human subjects requirements for performance of this clinical trial.Read full original descriptionShow less
Digital Shared Decision-Making Aid to Improve Patient-Centered Outcomes in Implantable Cardioverter-Defibrillator (ICD) Decisions Among Older Patients, ENHANCE-ICD (SU sIRB)
Advanced heart failure, affecting 7 million Americans, has multiple causes and results in greatly increased risk of disability and death. A major problem is sudden cardiac death, when the damaged heart develops an abnormal pattern of electrical conduction that can result in cessation of heart activity. While placement of an Implantable Cardioverter-Defibrillator (ICD) in a patient's chest can help prevent sudden cardiac death, these devices have several important downsides. This protocol focuses on development of a digital decision aid that helps heart failure patients make informed decisions that balance the benefits and downsides of ICD placement. This protocol covers the use of participant surveys, focus groups, and interviews to obtain the needed background information to guide the development of this digital tool, which will be subsequently tested against usual care in a randomized clinical trial. The study design is best described as a mixed methods evaluation and refinement of a digital app to improve ICD decision-making. In the future, the present protocol will be modified to create a new protocol that covers the needed human subjects requirements for performance of this clinical trial.
Inclusion: Meets or approximates minimal criteria for primary prevention ICD placement. ● Left Ventricular Ejection Fraction (LVEF) <35%; Clinical diagnosis of Heart Failure:; Patients with severe ischemic dilated cardiomyopathy and underlying NYHA; Class II or III Heart Failure, OR, Patients with severe nonischemic dilated cardiomyopathy and underlying NYHA Class II or III Heart Failure; Age ≥ 70 years old; Able to consent in English, Mandarin or Spanish and follow study instructions.
Exclusion: History of mechanical valve replacement; History of recent myocardial infarction within the last 40 days; History of recent revascularization within the past 90 days; History of familial or genetic disorders with a high-risk of ventricular arrhythmias, such as the long QT syndrome (LQTS) or hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM); Past ICD implantation (not including pacemakers); Any indication for secondary prevention of SCD via ICD implantation; Any factors contraindicating ICD placement; Less than 6 months life expectancy and other clinical consideration,; Unwilling or unable to consider ICD,; Any contraindications to ambulati.