A Patient‐Centered Approach to Cardiac Monitoring After Cryptogenic Stroke: A Review

Abstract

Due to the variety of cardiac monitoring devices available after cryptogenic stroke to screen for atrial fibrillation, there is a need to understand the challenges and perceptions of these devices for patients. This article reviews in detail the cardiac monitoring technologies available to screen for atrial fibrillation after cryptogenic stroke/transient ischemic attack, with a focus on what is known regarding patient preferences and compliance in real‐world settings. As the optimal type of device and duration of time to screen for atrial fibrillation after cryptogenic stroke continues to be studied, a shared decision‐making approach that incorporates patient preferences with regard to the monitoring device chosen should be considered. Clinicians should explain to patients the uncertainty about the clinical impact of invasive monitoring, and future studies should aim to qualitatively delineate the viewpoints and comfort levels of patients with stroke regarding the use of implantable versus noninvasive cardiac monitoring.

Keywords

• atrial fibrillation/flutter
• cardiac monitoring
• cryptogenic stroke
• shared decision making