Hospitals may want to rethink cell phone bans

Britt reports that physicians use cell phones in hospitals that prohibit their use due to reported electronic magnetic interference. However, researchers report the use of cell phones rarely causes any interuption of electronic magnetic interference. Furthermore, it has been reported that when physicians communicate via their cell phones, thre are less medical errors due to quick communication to various healthcare providers. "The study is published in the February issue of Anesthesia & Analgesia. It was based on 4,018 responses from attendees at the 2003 meeting of the American Society of Anesthesiologists. Of those who responded, 65 percent reported using pagers as their primary mode of communications, and of those, 40 percent reported delays in communications."

Rapid communication in clinical settings...saves lives!