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Questionnaire-based evaluation of mobile phone interference with medical-electrical equipment in Swedish hospitals

Wiinberg, Stig ; Samuelsson, Göran ; Larsson, Stefan ; Nilsson, Barbro ; Jönsson, Patrik X. ; Ivarsson, Bodil LU and Olofsson, Per Åke (2017) In Technology and Health Care 25(4). p.791-796
Abstract

National recommendations in Sweden recommend a safety distance of 3 meter (m) between mobile phones and medical-electrical (ME) equipment in hospitals. A questionnaire was used to investigate how often mobile phones were reported to interfere with ME products in clinical practice across Sweden. The results confirmed that ME equipment can be affected by mobile phone use but, the risk of the patient's outcome being affected were minimal; no cases were identified which led to injury or death. In conclusion, the results support recommendations for a general safety distance of 0.5 m between mobile phones and ME equipment in care environments.

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author
; ; ; ; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
cellular phone, Medical devices, mobile phone, patient safety, safety distance
in
Technology and Health Care
volume
25
issue
4
pages
6 pages
publisher
IOS Press
external identifiers
  • scopus:85027515668
  • pmid:28436406
  • wos:000407743200017
ISSN
0928-7329
DOI
10.3233/THC-170810
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
e568a639-bdb5-4902-ba7d-1891546e4866
date added to LUP
2017-09-04 13:12:30
date last changed
2025-01-07 20:06:46
@article{e568a639-bdb5-4902-ba7d-1891546e4866,
  abstract     = {{<p>National recommendations in Sweden recommend a safety distance of 3 meter (m) between mobile phones and medical-electrical (ME) equipment in hospitals. A questionnaire was used to investigate how often mobile phones were reported to interfere with ME products in clinical practice across Sweden. The results confirmed that ME equipment can be affected by mobile phone use but, the risk of the patient's outcome being affected were minimal; no cases were identified which led to injury or death. In conclusion, the results support recommendations for a general safety distance of 0.5 m between mobile phones and ME equipment in care environments.</p>}},
  author       = {{Wiinberg, Stig and Samuelsson, Göran and Larsson, Stefan and Nilsson, Barbro and Jönsson, Patrik X. and Ivarsson, Bodil and Olofsson, Per Åke}},
  issn         = {{0928-7329}},
  keywords     = {{cellular phone; Medical devices; mobile phone; patient safety; safety distance}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{4}},
  pages        = {{791--796}},
  publisher    = {{IOS Press}},
  series       = {{Technology and Health Care}},
  title        = {{Questionnaire-based evaluation of mobile phone interference with medical-electrical equipment in Swedish hospitals}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.3233/THC-170810}},
  doi          = {{10.3233/THC-170810}},
  volume       = {{25}},
  year         = {{2017}},
}