Testing the Effectiveness of a Home-Based Exercise Program After Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator ICD Placement

What this Trial Is About

Researchers are evaluating a home-based exercise program called Exercise-ICD E-ICD for people who have an implantable cardioverter defibrillator ICD. The study aims to test how effective this exercise intervention is and to understand how it can be implemented by cardiac rehabilitation staff. The study involves 210 participants across three local sites and uses a randomized two-group design comparing E-ICD to usual care, focusing on increasing physical activity and improving quality of life while reducing anxiety and depression related to ICD shocks. The E-ICD intervention consists of 12 weeks of home walking exercise designed to meet a goal of 30 minutes on most days at a moderate level. Participants receive exercise instructions through a DVD and manual, monitoring tools like a heart rate monitor and exercise logs, and telephone coaching from cardiac rehabilitation staff. After the 3-month intervention, participants are given a tailored exercise prescription to maintain or increase their activity over the next 3 months. The usual care group continues their standard follow-up and ICD monitoring without specific exercise guidance but is tracked for physical activity and healthcare use. Participants will be assessed at the start, after 3 months, and again at 6 and 12 months. Researchers will measure physical activity using daily step counts, health status, mobility, confidence in walking, anxiety related to ICD shocks, and depression. The study also monitors how well the exercise program is adopted and implemented by clinical staff, participant satisfaction, and adherence. The total study duration per participant is 12 months to evaluate both immediate and longer-term effects of the exercise program.

Effectiveness of Exercise After an ICD