ISBN: 978-1-4731-3093-7 Study Design Population Research aim Setting phase of a terminal illness. ICD Goldstein Interviews and constant comparative methods 12 healthcare professionals (electrophysiologists, cardiologists and generalists) To understand barriers to physician initiated discussions about ICD deactivation USA Goldstein Interviews and constant comparative methods 15 ICD-recipients (median age 69 years), 10 patients had their device for over a year and 8 patients had received a shock To understand patient barriers to discussions about ICDs in patients with advanced illness USA Kramer Focus groups and grounded theory 14 nurses who were registered from the Division of Cardiovascular Diseases at the Mayo clinic To identify nurses' concerns relating to deactivating cardiac devices USA Interviews and thematic analysis 6 family members of ICD- recipients (3 children and 3 spouses) To explore family members' experiences of ICD decision making, in order to inform decision making and improve the quality of end of life care. 