The Life Experience of Patients after the Implantation of Cardiovascular Implantable Electronic Devices: A Qualitative Meta-Synthesis

Background: Cardiovascular implantable electronic devices (CIED) are more and more widely used in the clinical treatment of cardiovascular diseases. However, CIED implantation may also result in a variety of physical, psychological, and social problems among patients. To help patients adapt to life after CIED implantation, it is important to know patients' needs from their perspectives. Explore the needs of CIED patients from their perspectives to guide healthcare providers to improve their quality of life. Methods: PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, the Cochrane Library, CNKI, the VIP database, the Wanfang database, and the China Biomedical Literature database were searched for qualitative studies on the experience of patients with CIED dating from January 2000 to August 2022. The quality of each article was evaluated according to the 2016 edition of the Joanna Briggs Institute Evidence-Based Health Care Center Qualitative Research Quality Evaluation Criteria and an integrative meta-synthesis was undertaken. Results: A total of 18 documents were included, and 111 categories were extracted. Analysis of the data resulted in the identification of 3 themes and 12 subthemes. The first theme, Equipment Symbiosis, included "Mixed feelings about the device as part of the body", "Mixed feelings about the patient's role", and "Mixed feelings about an electrical stimulus". The second theme, External Support, included "Husband and wife relationship damaged", "Eager to participate, unwilling to be overprotected", "Want to return to work but are forced to leave", and "Information supply and demand mismatch". The third theme, Self-coping, included "How to face a doctor", "How to deal with activity restrictions", "How to face yourself", "How to face the future", and "How to face death". Conclusions: Healthcare providers need to accelerate technological innovation and clinical adoption of CIED. Additionally, healthcare providers need to establish a diverse support system led by medical staff, with family members, peers, and society working together, and improve CIEDs remote monitoring to help patients improve their quality of life.