Your doctor gives you a physical exam before giving you a monitor and you may also have an EKG. The technician cleans five areas on your chest with alcohol and abrasive solution and places five electrodes (small sticky patches connected by wires to a recorder) on these areas. The technician secures the wires with additional tape and you clip the monitor to your belt or carry it in your pocket.
The technician will provide instructions on how to use the monitor. You follow your usual daily routine and keep a diary of your activities and any symptoms and include any medications you take and when you take them. Note the time you develop symptoms so your doctor may compare your notes with the results of the EKG.