Cell Phones get the "all clear" at some hospitals

Though new research shows there is no danger to having cell phones in hospitals, experts are still divided on whether they create electromagnetic interference with sensitive medical devices.

But one information technology manager, Andrew Cooper, at the oncology and hematology clinic in Columbus, Ohio, has come up with a solution that should satisfy everyone. He has installed an internal antenna system which gives out weaker signals. USA Today reports.

"The system puts the antenna closer to the cellphone by installing an antenna inside the medical facility instead of a mile or more away. That allows a cellphone to connect using a lower signal strength.

By putting the antenna inside the medical facility, the phone signals are reduced, and engineers can measure and better control the electromagnetic energy in-house.

... Still, most hospitals are still reluctant to allow cellphones. "The technology of cellphones is growing so fast that the cellphone of today and the cellphone of tomorrow might have totally different effects on things," says Rick Wade, a spokesman for the American Hospital Association. "Nobody has any idea of what effect iPod phones have" on medical devices. "This is an evolving situation."

emily | 1:35 PM | Health Issues and SMS Alerts |
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