Palpitations is the medical term for an abnormal awareness a patient has about their own heart beat. The feeling is independent of the actual heart rate (for example, a normal patient will not feel their heart beating even in severe cases of tachycardia). While a person can pick up on their own heart beat if they concentrate on the phenomena, in palpitations, the patient is aware of their heart rate often to the exclusion of all other stimuli. In Family Practice, Arlene Cuddy starts having palpitations when she is out shopping with her daughters.