Variation among hospitals in selection of higher-cost, “higher-tech,” implantable cardioverter-defibrillators: Data from the National Cardiovascular Data Registry (NCDR) Implantable Cardioverter/Defibrillator (ICD) Registry

The use of “previously released” devices is influenced minimally by measured patient or provider characteristics. Rather, the main determinant of whether patients receive the newest, versus a previously released device, appears to be practice patterns at individual hospitals.