Recent studies have demonstrated the safety of cellphones in the hospitals. Banning them forces patients to pay the hospital for telephone access:
But it reveals that Health Service authorities have prohibited their use after signing deals with private telephone providers.These firms, which have installed bedside entertainment systems under the Government’s ‘Patient Power’ policy, have made millions by charging up to 75p a minute for incoming calls from mobiles and 49p from landlines.
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The other concern is HIPPA related privacy issues. As most cell phones now have cameras, someone could take a picture, record an overheard comment or compromise privacy in some unexpected way. With the current litigious environment in the US, this would definitely open the hospital to fines or civil suits. While most physicians have been not yet banned cellphones, most practice management letters advise doing so.
someone should mention this to the CEO of BIDMC who has his own blog that I can’t seem to find anymore.
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