Increasing Knowledge about Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillators at the End of Life, an Effective Approach for Hospice Workers to Improve Patient Care

Background: Implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICDs) decrease mortality in high-risk patients but can also cause distressing shocks near death. Patients who lack knowledge about their ICDs are more likely to have an active device at the end of life. Many hospice workers lack sufficient knowledge to educate patients about ICDs. Measures: An ICD educational video created for use in a diverse, underserved patient population was shown to hospice workers from two large community hospices and attendees of a regional conference. A validated 10 question survey was given to participants before and after the video. Outcomes: Significant improvement in ICD knowledge scores was seen in all participants (W = 3119.5, P < 0.0001). While doctors and nurses showed higher pretest knowledge, post-test knowledge scores equalized across all participants. Conclusions/Lessons Learned: An ICD patient educational video designed for a diverse, underserved patient population effectively improved ICD knowledge to a uniform excellent level for a broad range of hospice workers.