Dr Rony Duncan is a Senior Research Fellow at the Centre for Adolescent
Health, Murdoch Childrens Research Institute and, as part of this role, she supervises a number of postgraduate research students. Recently, one of her past students, Belinda Rahman, worked with Rony to publish the findings from her Masters research in a well-known cardiac journal – Pacing and Clinical Electrophysiology (PACE).
The study was about adolescents who have Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillators (ICDs), which are devices used to treat life-threatening cardiac conditions. ICDs are surgically inserted near the heart to monitor the heart’s rhythm. If abnormal rhythms are detected, the device delivers a ‘shock’ to restore normal rhythm. ICDs significantly extend life expectancy but the psychosocial implications for people who have ICDs are not well understood. And, of the few studies that have been explored psychosocial impacts, most have been with adults, not young people.
The study published in PACE involved a series of interviews with adolescents who had ICDs (and also with their parents) to find out about the way in which having an ICD impacts on life. Some important themes emerged from this work, including the range of restrictions that adolescents with ICDs face, the fears associated with experiencing an ICD ‘shock’, and the way in which communication with health professionals could be improved so that it is more adolescent-friendly.
The paper is currently available online, ahead of print.