Mobile phones in the hospital: Improved mobile communication and mitigation of EMI concerns can lead to an overall benefit to healthcare

There is a growing trend in hospitals throughout the world to incorporate mobile phones and other wireless technology to offer more efficient, cost effective, and higher quality healthcare. Misunderstanding of mobile phone systems, electromagnetic interference with medical devices, and available management solutions, however, has led to a wide range of inconsistent hospital policies. Recent reviews and commentaries on the subject have provided inconsistent and in some cases factually incorrect information that confuses the issue. At one extreme, unmanaged use of mobile phones in areas where life-critical medical devices are in operation can result in atypical situations that may place patients at risk. At the other extreme, overly-restrictive policies based upon speculation may deny benefits by acting as an obstacle to technology. Overly-restrictive policies may also not address growing and legitimate communication needs of patients and visitors in times of crisis. While it may not be feasible for hospitals to manage every mobile phone handset that is randomly brought into their facility without certain limits on use in areas where life-critical devices are commonly in operation, restrictions are not usually necessary throughout the entire facility. Restrictive policies are also better facilitated when easily accessible areas are designated where mobile phone use is encouraged. Controlled mobile phone systems for use by doctors and staff for hospital-specific communication, by contrast, can operate compatibly throughout the entire hospital facility with appropriate system design and management, even in sensitive areas, and such systems have already been deployed in a number of hospitals throughout the U.S.