Mr. Chen made the announcement earlier this week at Mackenzie Richmond Hill (Ontario) Hospital north of Toronto, where the mobile manufacturer was unveiling a new clinical alerts pilot project.
Transfer of infections and bacteria between patients in hospitals is a “huge issue” because equipment in patient rooms, including mobile phones, can carry bacteria through the hospital, Aviv Gladman, MD, CMIO of Mackenzie Health in Richmond Hill, told Bloomberg Business.
According to Dr. Gladman, healthcare workers are supposed to wipe their phones with alcohol wipes before entering and exiting a patient room, but hospitals don’t really know how effective the wipes are at removing bacteria from the mobile devices, and some workers fail to do so at times.
Despite BlackBerry’s announcement, Mr. Chen notes the company has not yet begun developing a “clean phone.”
More articles on infection control:
Plague kills teen in Colorado: 5 things to know
Endoscopes and MDROs: How to avoid an outbreak
CMS data collection rules may detract from infection control
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