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News about staying in touch at the hospital
Next time you're visiting your loved one at the hospital and the doctor or nurse tells you to stop using your cell phone because it interferes with in-hospital testing equipment, such as an electrocardiagram, politely tell that person to get up to speed on the latest information regarding such matters. A recent study at the Mayo Clinic indicates that cell phones do not interfere with medical equipment when used normally in patient-care areas of a hospital.
Hospital staff might suggest you refrain from using a cell phone out of courtesy to other patients or in an effort to control noise in an area where they hope patients can get rest, and those conditions should be honored, but as far as the longstanding rule against cell-phone use because of how one might interfere with equipment, that seems to have been disproved.
"For institutions that have restricted cellular telephone use, these data support revision or abolition of the existing policy," the study concluded. Data was gathered in a study in which investigators used phones from two different cellular carriers in patient rooms containing a total of 192 medical devices, such as ECG monitors, ventilators and ultrasound imaging machines. In 300 tests, they found no instances of interference. Two Blackberries tested 40 times near 24 medical devices caused no problems, either.
Commentary in the Mayo Clinic Proceedings, in which the study was published, stated that "it would be appropriate for the FDA to take a more explicit stand that [interference] is unlikely to occur in a hospital setting and that internal regulations in healthcare facilities should reflect that fact."