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Atrial fibrillation (AF), commonly encountered in patients with ischemic stroke and transient ischemic attack (TIA), confers a 5-fold increased risk of ischemic stroke. AF-related strokes are associated with an ≈50% increased risk of disability and 60% increased risk of death at 3 months compared with strokes of other etiologies. Paroxysmal AF (PAF), a self-terminating recurrent form of cardiac arrhythmia that comprises between 25% and 62% of AF cases, may present as a brief single episode of arrhythmia or as clusters of abnormal rhythm of variable duration, sometimes evolving into a more persistent or permanent form.

Remote cardiac telemetry was developed to allow home ECG monitoring of patients with suspected cardiac arrhythmias. It was first introduced by the American biophysicist Norman J. Holter (1914–1983) in the 1940s. The original Holter monitor was a 75-lb backpack with a reel-to-reel FM tape recorder, analog patient interface electronics, and large batteries.