Helping Cardiac Patients Live Well, Not Just Live with Samuel Sears, Ph.D.

On this episode of Designing for Health, Nordic’s Chief Medical Officer, Craig Joseph, MD, is joined by Dr. Samuel Sears, a psychologist who has spent more than three decades embedded within cardiology teams. Together, they explore the often-overlooked psychological impacts of cardiac disease, implantable defibrillators, and other life-saving technologies. Dr. Sears discusses how patients cope with fear, uncertainty, and major health events, why movement and activity can serve as powerful indicators of well-being, and how healthcare organizations can better integrate mental health into cardiovascular care. The conversation highlights the importance of validating patient experiences, overcoming fear-based disengagement, and designing healthcare systems that support both physical and emotional recovery. Show Notes: [00:00] Intros [02:13] The Rise of Implantable Defibrillators [06:30] Solving the Gap Between Patient and Clinician Perspectives [10:50] Recognizing Sentinel Events and Fear-Based Disengagement [15:03] Why Cardiology Needs More Mental Health Professionals [24:17] The Future of Patient Data, AI, and Symptom Tracking [30:15] Technology, Trust, and the Value of Recovery [37:48] Sam’s favorite well-designed thing [39:26] Outros For a full transcript, click here (https://nordicglobal.com/resources/de...)