The Experiences and Concerns of People With Cardiac Implantable Electronic Devices: A Qualitative Content Analysis of Reddit Posts

Abstract

Cardiac implantable electronic devices are used to treat a variety of cardiovascular diseases, such as cardiac arrhythmias. There are three common kinds of device: pacemakers, implantable cardioverter-defibrillators, and cardiac resynchronization therapy devices. While living with these devices presents a number of challenges, current literature has overwhelming focused on people with implantable cardioverter-defibrillators. Additionally, there is limited evaluation of how people living with these devices engage with online peer support. The present study, therefore, aimed to answer the research question "What questions, and information about their experiences, do people living with a cardiac implantable electronic device post to communities intended for them on the social media website Reddit?" The website Reddit was systematically searched for relevant communities, and posts made by those living with a device were collected. Conventional qualitative content analysis was employed to analyse posts made to the one subreddit found that met the inclusion criteria of the present study. From the 299 posts analysed, five overarching categories were established: Use of the Subreddit, Life with a Device, Healthcare Experiences, Psychological Experiences of Living with a Device, and Physical Sequelae of Device Implantation. Findings provide insight into how people living with these devices engage with online peer support and the challenges that they face. Novel findings regarding the age and health status of participants, and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, are presented. Further research is needed to explore the experiences of people living with a device and how to best improve healthcare communication, social support, and health literacy.