Medical telemetry is on the move. Is it time for you to change frequencies?

Medical telemetry in the United States is in the midst of a transformation. The VHF and UHF transmission bands traditionally used for most medical telemetry have become increasingly crowded. In response, the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is making new frequency bands available exclusively for medical telemetry. Many users of the traditional bands will need to migrate out of them--but how soon will this become necessary? And what's involved in making the switch? In our September 2000 article "New Frequencies for Medical Telemetry: FCC's Plan Is Final--Now What?" we discussed some of the changes affecting telemetry. In the article that follows, we review those changes and explain what your facility needs to do in response.