Certified Rhythm Analysis Technician (CRAT) Practice Exam 2026 – All-in-One Study Guide for Exam Success!

The procedure most commonly performed in a hospital or inpatient setting is continuous monitoring. This method involves the ongoing observation of a patient's heart activity, usually through electrodes placed on the chest connected to a cardiac monitor. This is crucial in a hospital environment where patients are at risk for acute changes in their heart rhythm or are recovering from surgery or critical illness.

Continuous monitoring provides real-time data and alerts healthcare staff to any irregularities, which is essential for prompt intervention. This level of surveillance ensures that medical professionals can respond quickly to any signs of distress, making it the standard practice in inpatient care settings.

Ambulatory monitoring is typically done on an outpatient basis, where the patient wears a portable monitor for an extended period while going about their daily activities. A treadmill stress test is performed to evaluate cardiac function under stress and is often conducted in a controlled environment, but not continuously. Transtelephonic monitoring is used for longer-term evaluation of heart rhythms but is not done in a typical inpatient scenario as it relies on patients transmitting data to healthcare providers from home.