Hospitals Consider Lifting Ban on Wireless Phones
By Christina Orlovsky, senior staff writer
Thanks to today's sophisticated digital and wireless technology, hospitals are considering making a long-held communication issue a thing of the past: the cell phone ban.
According to John Collins, director of engineering and compliance for the American Society for Healthcare Engineering (ASHE), there has never been a universal ban on cell phone usage in hospitals. Rather, policy has been decided by each facility over the past decade.
"In the mid 1990s, there was an investigative report on television about analog cell phones causing wheelchairs to go awry," Collins said. Concurring warnings from the FDA and FCC prompted hospitals to create an ad hoc ban on cell phones on hospital grounds.
"However, most of the incidents of cell phone interference have not been backed up by scientific data," Collins added.
A recent member survey by the Metropolitan Chicago Healthcare Council (MCHC) addressed the issue of electromagnetic interference (EMI) from wireless devices.
"Very few of our 100-plus members cited evidence of EMI related to wireless devices," said Linnea O'Neill, assistant director of clinical, administrative, professional and emergency services for the MCHC. "The evidence that was reported was anecdotal and could not be duplicated."
In response to increasing member requests for policy guidance in the wake of emerging wireless technology, the MCHC created a worksheet to help hospitals decide what areas to designate wireless-friendly zones. On a scale of 0 to 3, hospitals rate the risk posed by all wireless devices-including cell phones, PDAs and BlackBerry devices-to such patient concerns as privacy, environment, EMI and infection control. The MCHC recommends that all areas receiving a score higher than 4 should be designated wireless-free zones.
"By giving hospitals the worksheet, it allows them to go through all areas of the hospital and do the math so they are better able to make a choice about whether or not cell phones should be restricted," O'Neill explained. "What they find are several areas with little to no risk, such as the cafeteria and waiting rooms."
In fact, many hospitals have already taken steps to lift the wireless ban in risk-free areas of the hospital.
"Digital phones are causing hospitals to back off their bans," Collins said. "There's a growing trend allowing usage in waiting rooms and public areas."
Other hospitals are creating business centers where visitors can freely use personal wireless devices.
Both Collins and O'Neill said that since medical equipment manufacturers have begun shielding machines from electromagnetic waves, interference from wireless technology has become a lot less likely. Many institutions have even begun introducing advanced technology into their own systems, such as wireless communication devices for nurses and in-house antenna systems tied to the PDAs of medical students.
O'Neill added that once staff members are allowed to use wireless devices, it's difficult to enforce rules banning visitors from doing the same.
"One thing we stress to our hospitals is that whatever policy they come up with, they have to abide by it, implement it and police it," she said. "The key is to develop a realistic policy, taking into account customer care and infection control, and decide where to limit wireless usage for everybody."
Despite the fact that a universal ban is not necessary throughout the hospital, both experts agree that there are certain areas where wireless usage may not be appropriate.
"Scientifically, if you take a cell phone three feet away from critical care machinery, there will not be any problems," Collins explained. "Ethically, however, I don't think usage should be allowed in any intensive care area."
The bottom line is that the cell phone ban is an issue best left to each hospital to decide.
"Through our worksheet, we're giving our hospitals the choice of restricting usage or allowing it," O'Neill said. "If they do choose to allow it, we are suggesting that courtesy guidelines be listed in all cell phone-friendly areas, reminding users to keep voices down and conversations brief, and to remember that other people can hear what they're saying," she added.
The ban may be lifted, but common courtesy remains.
For more information, visit the MCHC Web site.
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