Evaluation of outpatient arrhythmias utilizing transtelephonic monitoring

This study demonstrates the inaccuracy of the presumptive clinical diagnosis of cardiac arrhythmia. Not only are physicians often wrong in establishing diagnosis on clinical grounds, in addition, a significant number of patients have symptoms which have been attributed to a cardiac basis when in fact, no rhythm abnormality exists. For this reason, electrocardiographic documentation is essential. This study defines the usefulness of transtelephonic monitoring in evaluating cardiac rhythm during a symptomatic episode suggestive of arrhythmia. It also defines the limitations of transtelephonic monitoring in patients whose symptoms are too brief or who would find the system awkward to use.