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Developing a Digital Aid to Improve ICD Decisions

Developing "A Digital Shared Decision-Making Aid to Improve Patient-Centered Outcomes in Implantable Cardioverter-Defibrillator (ICD) Decisions Among Older Patients"

Who can join

Ages 60 and older · All sexes

Developmental Testing will attempt to abide by eligibility criteria identical to the planned criteria for the subsequent RCT, but may strategically deviate from these criteria to enhance the testing and development process.

Inclusion Criteria:

* 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 Criteria:

The exclusion criteria include any of the following:

* Past ICD implantation (not including pacemakers).
* Any indication for secondary prevention of SCD via ICD implantation.
* 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).
* 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

About the study

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.

What is being tested

• Online, patient-facing decision-making aid (app) with personalized risk information. (other)
• Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator (ICD) (device)
• Online, patient-facing decision-making app without personalized risk information. (other)

Sponsor: Stanford University · Participants: 600 · Started: Aug 1, 2025

Contact the study team

• Randall S Stafford, MD, PhD, MHS · Phone: 650-724-2400

Official record on ClinicalTrials.gov — NCT07084142

Locations in the U.S.

Conditions

• Systolic Heart Failure
• Heart Failure
• Cardiac Sudden Death
• Arrhythmia

From ClinicalTrials.gov, data retrieved Sep 30, 2026. Each study sets its own eligibility; the study team decides who can join.