Use of mobile phones by medical staff at Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Barbados: evidence for both benefit and harm

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Summary

All members of medical staff, including students, were asked to participate in a self-administered questionnaire concerning patterns of mobile phone use and care. Participants' phones were cultured for micro-organisms. Healthcare professionals working in close proximity to sensitive equipment were surveyed concerning adverse events associated with mobile phones. Telephone operators were asked to monitor time elapsed as they attempted to contact medical staff by various methods. Of 266 medical staff and students at the time of the study, 116 completed questionnaires (response rate = 44%). Almost all (98%) used mobile phones: 67% used their mobile phones for hospital-related matters; 47% reported using their phone while attending patients. Only 3% reported washing their hands after use and 53% reported never cleaning their phone. In total, 101 mobile phones were cultured for micro-organisms; 45% were culture-positive and 15% grew Gram-negative pathogens. The survey of staff working in close proximity to sensitive equipment revealed only one report of minor interference with life-saving equipment. Telephone operators were able to contact medical staff within 2 min most easily by mobile phone. Mobile phones were used widely by staff and were considered by most participants as a more efficient means of communication. However, microbial contamination is a risk associated with the infrequent cleaning of phones. Hospitals should develop policies to address the hygiene of mobile phones.

Introduction

There is widespread use of mobile phones among medical personnel in hospitals. Mobile phones have become part of a physician's equipment and are used extensively for communication in a clinical setting. There is an international trend to incorporate mobile phones as well as other wireless technology to increase the efficiency, cost-effectiveness and quality of healthcare.1, 2

Mobile phones remain banned in some hospitals, since they are considered to be potentially hazardous, especially near sensitive electronic equipment.3, 4 Misunderstanding of mobile phone systems, their electromagnetic interference with medical devices and available management solutions has led to a wide range of inconsistent hospital policies.2 Current evidence indicates that mobile phones pose a small risk of interference with medical equipment and only when personnel use mobile phones in close proximity (<1 m) to susceptible machines.3, 4, 5 Data regarding use of mobile phones in anaesthesia suggest that environmental risk data are not consistent and that mobile phone use among anaesthetists is associated with a lower risk to patients.6 There is now an emerging international consensus that mobile phone use in hospitals, with appropriate precautions, can improve patient care and pose minimal risks.7 However, the risks associated with mobile phones require further research to inform policy. The widespread use of audio and video recording technology on mobile phones poses a challenge. For example, camera phones provide the opportunity to record protected or inappropriate images or speech of patients.8 In addition, the use of mobile phones raises the risk of cross-contamination in a hospital setting, especially if effective disinfection protocols are not enforced.9, 10

This study was carried out at Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH), Barbados, a 600-bed tertiary care teaching hospital affiliated with the University of the West Indies School of Clinical Medicine and Research, from September to November 2005. Mobile phones had been banned at QEH because of concerns about their interference with electronic equipment but the ban was lifted in the interest of improving communications. During the study period most consultants and trainees carried mobile phones and used them extensively to communicate with each other. There were no guidelines for the disinfection of mobile phones. The research objective was to document the potential risks (interference with electronic equipment and transmission of infection) and benefits (improved communications) associated with mobile phones in a Caribbean setting.

Section snippets

Methods

Volunteers (N = 116; participation rate = 44%) were members of staff at QEH, the general hospital of Barbados and a centre for undergraduate and postgraduate medical training. Ethical approval for the study was obtained from the Ethics Committee of the University of the West Indies, Barbados.

The authors designed a questionnaire to determine the extent of usage of mobile phones, the location of use and disinfection practices. Trained interviewers (N.G. and C.P., both medical students) administered

Medical staff mobile phone use survey

In total, 266 medical staff were eligible to participate in the phone use study; 118 members of medical staff consented to participate. Of these, two questionnaires were incomplete and therefore discarded, leaving 116 participants in the study (44% response rate).

The medical students represented the largest departmental group interviewed (24%), followed by general surgeons (15%) (Table I). There was equal gender distribution among junior doctors, with a predominance of males among consultant

Discussion

Mobile phone use was highly prevalent among medical staff of QEH. It plays a significant role in the day-to-day life of almost all medical staff and contributes positively to their ability to communicate concerning hospital affairs. Most preferred to be reached by their mobile phone, considered it important to their work and considered the alternative (the hospital paging system) to be inadequate. In addition, operators were more often able to contact a member of medical staff within 2 min via

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