Debate about cell phones in hospitals.

[sparks19]

When have you been to the movies last? I cannot remember a time when the trailers at the theater didn't include a "don"t add your own sound track" bit.

This weekend. Twice.

LOL it was actually a funny "commercial" a guy was begging his girl not to break up with him on his cell phone and a director comes into the picture (can't remember the directors name... it was like Sydney or something) and starts giving him direction on how to beg for his g/f back convincingly.... then the guy says to his g/f "um.... I gotta call you right back" and the director says "Oh I'm sorry is my directing interfering with your phone call"

LOL then it flashes up on the screen... we don't wreck your phone calls with our movies... please don't wreck our movies with your phone calls.

haha it was a funny commercial actually.

Hey and when did they start putting commercials at the beginning of movies lol not just previews but REAL commercials lol

LH, because cell phones were allowed to be on in hospitals because they once "thought" it interfered with the equipment.... that is how this thread started. LOL

[Lady's Human]

The Rule was a ban of cellphones due to possible interference with hospital electronics.

The REMOVAL of the rule would be allowing cell phones to be used. (As is currently the practice. As evidence of this being the removal of a rule rather than creating a new rule, they simply removed the signs at our local hospital which advised people to turn off their cell phones. No new signs were posted)

Banning cellphones again would be REINSTATEMENT of a rule, not removal.

[sparks19]

The Rule was a ban of cellphones due to possible interference with hospital electronics.

The REMOVAL of the rule would be allowing cell phones to be used. (As is currently the practice. As evidence of this being the removal of a rule rather than creating a new rule, they simply removed the signs at our local hospital which advised people to turn off their cell phones. No new signs were posted)

Banning cellphones again would be REINSTATEMENT of a rule, not removal.

*sigh*

What I meant was.... the rule shouldn't have been removed as it was... they should still have signs requesting people turn off their cell phones....at the very least their ringers and to have the courtesy to only use it when nessecary.

but again... this shouldn't have to be a rule. People should just have the courtesy to not have their ringers on or answer just any phone call from any Tom dick and harry. If you MUST use it for emergency FINE. but keep the ringer off and let unimportant calls go to voicemail. If you want to have a casual convo then you should go outside... it shouldn't have to be a rule you should just do it out of sheer respect for others around you in the hospital.

Now what if they find later that they were wrong and cell phones do cause some interference with the machines... although I've actually heard it is really the other way around.... apparently the machines do a number on the battery of the cell phones according to an EMT friend.

[Daisy and Delilah]

As far as I know(after working at a plant that built cellphone parts for 10 years), cellphones run on radio frequency. At least they did when I worked at that job. What hospital machines would they be affecting supposedly? Is this affecting equipment the same as in an airplane? Just curious.

If this is the case, and machines were being affected, why would they just be discovering it recently?

[Lady's Human]

The worry with cellphones in hospitals was twofold.

One, the signals from the older, higher power analog phones did cause disruption in sensitive computer circuits. This would cause interference with medical monitors, as most med monitors are specialized computers. As cell phones are now using much lower powered digital signals, this is no longer a concern.


Some hospitals use wireless systems, and there was minor concern about interference with the wireless systems in use. Completely different frequencies, not a problem.

Hence the lift of the ban.

[sparks19]

The worry with cellphones in hospitals was twofold.

One, the signals from the older, higher power analog phones did cause disruption in sensitive computer circuits. This would cause interference with medical monitors, as most med monitors are specialized computers.

two, hospitals use wireless systems, and there was concern about interference with the wireless systems in use. (completely different frequencies, not a problem)

there you go D and D that should answer your question. i dont know what specific equipment they were worried about though

[Daisy and Delilah]

Thanks to both of you

I have a cell phone and I keep it turned off all the time unless I'm expecting a call from someone. I use it to call my family when I leave work. It comes in handy whenever I need to call someone while in the road. This is just my choice and may not be the choice of others.

I am quite often irritated by cell phone conversations if they're not showing respect for other people, when respect is called for. Working at a library, cellphones are not allowed but we have even become more lenient with those rules to accommodate the necessity of the phone calls. I think it's okay to use a cellphone, most anywhere, but respect is the key.

These days, convenience is our new way of life. No matter how much we object to alot of things, we might as well put up with them because they're not going anywhere. What the heck, I used to despise computers. Look at me now!! On another note....what did we do before we got them?

sparks; I understand your point but I think it's just an issue of the proper use of the phone as opposed to banning them all together. Hospitals are very noisy and some of the most annoying places on earth, all by themselves(just ask Phred ). I personally can't see why an occasional conversation on the phone would be noticed that much by anybody. If it becomes excessive, someone needs to say something about it if it's truly bothering them. JMHO

I almost forgot to throw in another observation of mine. Anytime I've been in the hospital, I hated it because it was lonely(hopefully this doesn't sound contradictory to what I've already said). Anyone who has been hospitalized probably knows what I mean. If I would have had a cell phone, I wouldn't have felt like I was trapped in a prison. Using the hospital phone just didn't appeal to me

[Catlady711]

While I realize I work at a VET hospital not a human hospital, and I'm having to assume that human hosptials run into at least some similar hassles that we did at work. I'm guessing that some of the no cell phone rules may have to do with doctors being able to discuss treatment etc. with the patients and cell phone conversations interfering.

The reason I say this is...

Until a few years ago our vet hospital allowed cell phones inside. We had the usual loud talkers, people who just HAD to answer that call from the kid at home wondering what was for dinner right when the dr. was discussing what to be expected during an upcoming major surgery, walki talki mode set on LOUD so you could clearly hear both ends of the conversation through closed doors, annoying and LOUD ring tones (all of which I might mention tend to frighten timid animals which puts us at higher risk of getting bit).

The FINAL straw was a few years ago. This actually happened! We had a client come in already talking on his cell phone. He sat down in the lobby with his large dog. Never said a word to us and would NOT answer us when we asked his name. We had to match up the dogs discription with the files to figure out who he even was, and check with the appointment book just to find out why he was there! He did respond by getting up when we called the dog's name.

So we put him in a room (not so much as a break in the cell phone convo), and we could hear him in there just yakking away. It wasn't an important call from the end we could hear. At some point while he was in there we heard him say 'bye' and it got quiet. Yay, the guy hung up finally! So much for our elation, nope, do you know what he did next? He dialed up someone else and started up the yaking on the cell phone again. Once more didn't appear to be an important discussion, more like social calls.

So when his turn came the dr. walked in the room, the guy on the phone didn't even look up to acknowledge the dr!! He wouldn't respond to any questions asking about the dog's health since his last visit. So the dr. just did his examination, all while the guy is yakking away. The dog appeared healthy and happy, was due for a vaccination as I recall, and we went ahead and did that and told the owner unless he had questions that he was done. The guy didn't even so much as NOD and walked to the check out with the dog, yaking on his cell phone the ENTIRE time!!

From what our receptionist said, the man talked the ENTIRE time he was checked out, still never responded to questions or acknowledged ANYONE. Just flopped his credit card on the counter, gathered his reciept and left with the dog, STILL yakking on the phone!!!

Later that day the boss put up signs all over the hospital saying NO CELL PHONES INSIDE THE BUILDING!

I'm guessing that if human dr's have had similar things happen, or had someone else in the room yakking on the cell phone while they are trying to discuss a serious medical condition to a patient, that they'd be a little 'down' on cell phones also.

It's not the phones themselves that are the problem, it's the people that use them, and HOW they use them.

[Daisy and Delilah]

CatLady--that guy would have driven me to grabbing the cellphone and whacking him over the head with it. That was a display of nothing but disrespect and complete abandonment of manners. Not to mention his lack of taking responsibility for his dog or his business at hand. Perhaps the doctor/staff should have walked over to him and explained that the phone had to go or he could take his business elsewhere.

The doctor did the right thing by hanging up the signs. Someone talking into a phone while they're doing business with me is rude and inexcusable. He is a good example of why the banning of cell phones is an issue in some places. He gives the phone usage a bad name for no good reason. It is a shame that a blatant display of bad judgement might take away something that may save the day for another person.

[sparks19]

As far as I know(after working at a plant that built cellphone parts for 10 years), cellphones run on radio frequency. At least they did when I worked at that job. What hospital machines would they be affecting supposedly? Is this affecting equipment the same as in an airplane? Just curious.

If this is the case, and machines were being affected, why would they just be discovering it recently?

They aren't just discovering it recently.... I was just saying.

I don't know what machines specifically but it's some of the monitors or something like that that they thought for years cell phones interfered with... that was why you were supposed to shut your phone off in the hospital. it was thought that it interfered with some of their equipment. then just recently (at least here anyway) some hospitals decided it wasn't true... other hospitals still believe it is possible and still tell you to turn off your cell phone.