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At last some evidence to help overturn the outdated ban on cellphones in hospitals. They are banned because old analog phones caused interference, but because of ridiculous legal issues, hospitals are too scared to remove the ban, even though digital phones do not cause interference.
Cell phone use may reduce the risk of medical errors, injury
A study appearing in the February issue of Anesthesia & Analgesia finds that hospital bans on the use of cellphones may actually increase the danger to patients, eventhough many hospitals ban them due to possible interference with the functioning of medical equipment. A survey completed by more than 4,000 participants in a meeting of anesthesiologists in 2003, finds that interference from cellphones was rare: only 2.4 percent of respondents reported seeing such a problem. At the same time, the researchers found that using cellphones instead of pagers was associated with a 22 percent reduction in the risk of medical error or injury resulting from communication delay.
Cellular telephone use by anesthesiologists is associated with a reduction in the risk of medical error or injury resulting from communication delay (relative risk = 0.78; 95% confidence interval, 0.62340.9649). The small risks of electromagnetic interference between mobile telephones and medical devices should be weighed against the potential benefits of improved communication.
http://www.anesthesia-analgesia.org/cgi/content/abstract/102/2/535
Cell phone use may reduce the risk of medical errors, injury
A study appearing in the February issue of Anesthesia & Analgesia finds that hospital bans on the use of cellphones may actually increase the danger to patients, eventhough many hospitals ban them due to possible interference with the functioning of medical equipment. A survey completed by more than 4,000 participants in a meeting of anesthesiologists in 2003, finds that interference from cellphones was rare: only 2.4 percent of respondents reported seeing such a problem. At the same time, the researchers found that using cellphones instead of pagers was associated with a 22 percent reduction in the risk of medical error or injury resulting from communication delay.
Cellular telephone use by anesthesiologists is associated with a reduction in the risk of medical error or injury resulting from communication delay (relative risk = 0.78; 95% confidence interval, 0.62340.9649). The small risks of electromagnetic interference between mobile telephones and medical devices should be weighed against the potential benefits of improved communication.
http://www.anesthesia-analgesia.org/cgi/content/abstract/102/2/535