Comparison of patient and partner quality of life and health outcomes in the first year after an implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD).

The article presents a descriptive study that examined and compared patterns of change for both patients and partners during the first year post-implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD). The findings revealed that partners compared to patients experienced higher levels of anxiety and depression, that patient mutuality was stable while partner mutuality increased, and that patient sensitivity was highest at discharge while partner sensitivity increased across patient's 12-month recovery.