The Effect of a Mobile Education Program and Telephone Monitoring Developed for Patients With Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillators on Shock Anxiety, Device Acceptance, and Self-Efficacy

1. Definition and Importance of the Problem

Implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICDs) are devices developed to prevent sudden cardiac death resulting from ventricular arrhythmias. According to the 2017 guidelines of the European Heart Rhythm Association, the annual number of ICD implantations per million people is reported to be 107 worldwide and 115 in Turkey. Furthermore, over the past decade, implantation rates have increased by 44% globally and 804.1% in Turkey. Although ICD therapy has been proven to reduce mortality by 28-40% and is more effective than antiarrhythmic drugs, living with an ICD can lead to various psychosocial problems in patients. In particular, anxiety and device adaptation problems are frequently encountered after implantation.

The foreign nature of the ICD, concerns about living dependently on the device, its activation during potentially fatal arrhythmias, and its capability to deliver shocks contribute to increased anxiety. Studies indicate that 44-55% of patients experience shock-related anxiety, with uncertainty regarding the sensation, location, and timing of shocks exacerbating this distress. Additionally, 95% of individuals who have experienced a shock develop anxiety. Anxiety and shock experiences can hinder device acceptance, adversely affecting patients' daily lives. It has been reported that individuals struggling with device acceptance exhibit lower levels of self-efficacy and that self-efficacy plays a crucial psychological role in disease adaptation. Consequently, assessing patients' self-efficacy is of significant importance.

Adequate patient education, telephone follow-ups, and continuous care have been shown to enhance device acceptance and self-efficacy. Despite the recognized importance of patient education and follow-up, 97% of ICD patients report needing further education and monitoring, suggesting a gap in the provision of necessary training.

Currently, innovative and interactive educational methods, such as mobile health applications and simulation techniques, are widely used for patient education. Mobile applications facilitate easy access to information, while simulation methods provide a realistic learning environment by allowing patients to experience real-life scenarios. While international literature includes studies on the use of mobile health applications for ICD patient monitoring, no studies have been identified that apply a mobile education program. Therefore, this study is expected to contribute innovatively to the literature by providing a realistic learning environment through a mobile education program incorporating different algorithms and a shock management simulation. Additionally, it is hypothesized that mobile education programs and telephone monitoring may improve patients' shock anxiety, device acceptance, and self-efficacy levels.