Comments on: Cell Phones and the Doctor’s Office http://www.marcstober.com/blog/2008/07/03/cell-phones-and-the-doctors-office/ // Repairing the world, one byte at a time. Marc Stober's blog. Wed, 06 Jul 2011 20:21:00 -0700 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.3 By: Doug Pinto http://www.marcstober.com/blog/2008/07/03/cell-phones-and-the-doctors-office/comment-page-1/#comment-24337 Doug Pinto Thu, 24 Mar 2011 20:10:00 +0000 http://www.marcstober.com/blog/2008/07/03/cell-phones-and-the-doctors-office/#comment-24337 "Yes, you should respect other people waiting, but is being considerate to strangers really more important than showing respect to people you know by keeping them informed as you deal with a medical issue?"nnHow about if you go out in the hall and make that call? Yes, it is possible to be considerate to strangers and show respect to your loved ones at the same time. All it takes is common sense, which is a commodity that seems to go flying out the window when normally level headed considerate people have a cell phone in their hands. “Yes, you should respect other people waiting, but is being considerate to strangers really more important than showing respect to people you know by keeping them informed as you deal with a medical issue?”nnHow about if you go out in the hall and make that call? Yes, it is possible to be considerate to strangers and show respect to your loved ones at the same time. All it takes is common sense, which is a commodity that seems to go flying out the window when normally level headed considerate people have a cell phone in their hands.

]]> By: JudiPhilly http://www.marcstober.com/blog/2008/07/03/cell-phones-and-the-doctors-office/comment-page-1/#comment-18650 JudiPhilly Wed, 26 Nov 2008 13:23:27 +0000 http://www.marcstober.com/blog/2008/07/03/cell-phones-and-the-doctors-office/#comment-18650 What I especially love are the signs stating that cell phones are prohibited under HIPAA requirements (which is often seen in doctors offices around Philly). This is utter nonsense. There is no such requirement under HIPAA. Further, any information loudly announced in the waiting room by office staff that could be overheard over a cell phone would nonetheless a HIPAA violation as to those seated in the waiting room. As you note, courtesy is what is needed. Phone on vibrate and quiet speaking voice (or better yet, stepping into the hall to take a call, as I tend to do). However, unless doctors shorten waiting times for scheduled appointments, they can hardly expect that people should just sit around for extended periods twiddling thumbs (without being tempted to use the thumbs on the phone). What I especially love are the signs stating that cell phones are prohibited under HIPAA requirements (which is often seen in doctors offices around Philly).

This is utter nonsense. There is no such requirement under HIPAA. Further, any information loudly announced in the waiting room by office staff that could be overheard over a cell phone would nonetheless a HIPAA violation as to those seated in the waiting room.

As you note, courtesy is what is needed. Phone on vibrate and quiet speaking voice (or better yet, stepping into the hall to take a call, as I tend to do). However, unless doctors shorten waiting times for scheduled appointments, they can hardly expect that people should just sit around for extended periods twiddling thumbs (without being tempted to use the thumbs on the phone).

]]> By: marcstober http://www.marcstober.com/blog/2008/07/03/cell-phones-and-the-doctors-office/comment-page-1/#comment-18584 marcstober Tue, 25 Nov 2008 02:39:55 +0000 http://www.marcstober.com/blog/2008/07/03/cell-phones-and-the-doctors-office/#comment-18584 @Mia: studies like <a href="http://www.mayoclinic.org/news2007-rst/3958.html" rel="nofollow">this one at the Mayo Clinic</a> have shown that cell phones don't really interfere with the equipment. Even <a href="http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1659417,00.html?xid=feed-cnn-topics" rel="nofollow">studies that show some interference at high transmission power</a> require the cell phones to be in close proximity to critical medical equipment--not in the waiting room, and in any case if your life is dependent on being in a medical facility hooked up to equipment, you need to be in a hospital, not your doctors office. What bothers me is when the technology is used as a excuse. Tell people to be more considerate in a crowded waiting room, don't blame technology for the problem. Since some of the most advanced hospitals with the most sensitive equipment do allow cell phone use in most parts of the building, it's hard to believe that an outpatient office really has an issue with interference. @Mia: studies like this one at the Mayo Clinic have shown that cell phones don’t really interfere with the equipment. Even studies that show some interference at high transmission power require the cell phones to be in close proximity to critical medical equipment–not in the waiting room, and in any case if your life is dependent on being in a medical facility hooked up to equipment, you need to be in a hospital, not your doctors office.

What bothers me is when the technology is used as a excuse. Tell people to be more considerate in a crowded waiting room, don’t blame technology for the problem. Since some of the most advanced hospitals with the most sensitive equipment do allow cell phone use in most parts of the building, it’s hard to believe that an outpatient office really has an issue with interference.

]]> By: Mia http://www.marcstober.com/blog/2008/07/03/cell-phones-and-the-doctors-office/comment-page-1/#comment-18579 Mia Tue, 25 Nov 2008 01:46:04 +0000 http://www.marcstober.com/blog/2008/07/03/cell-phones-and-the-doctors-office/#comment-18579 One of my doctor's offices has a sign that says cell phone signals can interfere with the operation of some of the equipment in use. Maybe that's the reason. If so, you should respect it. One of my doctor’s offices has a sign that says cell phone signals can interfere with the operation of some of the equipment in use. Maybe that’s the reason. If so, you should respect it.

]]> By: Solar Garden Lights http://www.marcstober.com/blog/2008/07/03/cell-phones-and-the-doctors-office/comment-page-1/#comment-14497 Solar Garden Lights Thu, 10 Jul 2008 20:23:17 +0000 http://www.marcstober.com/blog/2008/07/03/cell-phones-and-the-doctors-office/#comment-14497 I completely agree with you. Using your cell phone in public is okay as long as you make sure you are not distracting others by the volume of your voice or by the volume of your cell phone. Communication is very important, and cell phones send messages faster. I completely agree with you. Using your cell phone in public is okay as long as you make sure you are not distracting others by the volume of your voice or by the volume of your cell phone. Communication is very important, and cell phones send messages faster.

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