Home walking exercise for people with an ICD

Clinical Effectiveness of Exercise After an ICD (E-ICD)

Not applicable Interventional University of Washington · NCT03544489

This study will test a 12-week home walking program (E-ICD) to see if it increases daily steps for people with an implantable cardioverter defibrillator.

Quick facts

PhaseNot applicable
Study typeInterventional
Enrollment210 (estimated)
Ages18 Years and up
SexAll
SponsorUniversity of Washington Academic / other
Locations1 site (Seattle, Washington)
Trial IDNCT03544489 on ClinicalTrials.gov

What this trial studies

This randomized pragmatic effectiveness trial will enroll 210 adults with an ICD across three sites in the greater Seattle area and randomize them to the 12-week E-ICD home walking program or usual care. The intervention uses exercise prescriptions and remote monitoring components developed in prior RCTs and a pilot, and implementation is supported by cardiac rehabilitation staff using the RE-AIM framework. The primary outcome is physical activity measured as steps per day at 3 months, and mixed methods will describe implementation, reach, and adoption. The protocol follows the NIH stage III model to test effectiveness and real-world delivery.

Who should consider this trial

Good fit: Adults (18+) with an implanted ICD who can ambulate without assistive devices, speak/read English, and have reliable phone access are ideal candidates.

Not a fit: Patients who are pregnant, have unstable angina/MI/ICD shock or heart surgery within the past 3 months, active serious mental illness or regular illicit drug use, or who already exercise more than five days per week are unlikely to receive benefit.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: If successful, E-ICD could help people with ICDs safely increase daily activity and improve fitness and quality of life.

How similar studies have performed: The E-ICD protocol is adapted from prior randomized trials and a pilot by the same team that showed feasibility and informed the current effectiveness trial.

Eligibility criteria

Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria:

* ICD implantation for primary or secondary prevention of sudden cardiac arrest, -ability to read, speak and write English,-
* access to a reliable phone for 6 months after study entry,
* able to ambulate without assist devices for at least 5-10 minutes/day
* greater than 18 years of age.

Exclusion Criteria:

* current diagnosis of serious mental disorder,
* regular non-medical use of illicit drugs (opiates, cocaine, amphetamines, etc.), -unstable angina, myocardial infarction, ICD shock or heart surgery within previous 3 months
* pregnancy
* concurrent participation in an exercise program \> 5 days/week.

Where this trial is running

Seattle, Washington

Study contacts

How to participate

  1. Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
  2. Visit the official trial page on ClinicalTrials.gov for the most current contact information and recruitment status.
  3. Contact the listed study coordinator or principal investigator to request pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.
Conditions Heart ArrestImplantable Defibrillator UserPhysical Activity
Last reviewed 2026-06-13 by the Find a Trial editorial team. Information on this page is for educational purposes and is not medical advice. Always consult qualified healthcare professionals about clinical trial participation.