Who should decide whether an ICD should be deactivated?
There was a dichotomy in the evidence on who should decide whether an ICD should be deactivated. People with ICDs and their family members often felt that healthcare professionals should decide whether it was appropriate for their ICD to be deactivated, as they did not feel qualified or comfortable making the decision themselves. Healthcare professionals felt that ICD recipients should be the ones to decide whether to deactivate their device in the context of end of life discussions. Some healthcare professionals felt that families sometimes put pressure on patients to keep their device active.