Table 1.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Available Monitoring Technologies

Monitoring Technology	Advantages	Disadvantages
24‐hour Holter monitoring	Inexpensive	Likely to miss most PAF External leads
Extended Holter monitoring / ambulatory event monitors	Inexpensive	Depending on duration of monitoring, likely to miss a significant fraction of PAF External leads Poor patient compliance that may decline rapidly with increased monitoring durations
Patch monitors	Continuous intermediate‐term monitoring is possible Minimally obtrusive for an external device Well tolerated	Relatively more expensive Depending on duration of monitoring, likely to miss a significant fraction of PAF Extended monitoring may require ≥1 patch
Mobile cardiac telemetry	Continuous intermediate‐term monitoring is possible Rapid response to developing clinical situations	Relatively more expensive Long‐term monitoring incurs costs Relies on external leads and may be associated with poor patient compliance
Insertable cardiac monitors	No external wires 100% compliance Patient convenience Provides long‐term continuous monitoring (3 years) Rapid response to developing clinical situations	Need for minor invasive procedure Need to define long‐term pathways for data analysis and management Most expensive (cost of device and implantation/retrieval procedures) Long‐term monitoring incurs costs

PAF indicates paroxysmal atrial fibrillation.