Cell phones and walkie-talkies. Is it time to relax your restrictive policies?

In this article, ECRI revisits the issue of whether--and to what degree--healthcare facilities should restrict the use of cell phones and walkie-talkies. Although interference between these communications devices and medical devices has been demonstrated, the risk to patients appears to be minimal, as well as manageable. Based on the evidence available to date, we believe that restrictive policies can be relaxed to allow the use of cell phones and walkie-talkies in certain situations. (This is not to say that all restrictions should be lifted, however.) As always, we welcome your questions and comments, especially as they relate to experiences at your facility.