Electromagnetic interference can cause hospital devices to malfunction, McGill group warns.

Electromagnetic interference (EMI) from sources such as television transmitters, police radios and cellular phones can cause medical monitors and other hospital devices to malfunction, says the principal investigator of a McGill biomedical engineering group set up in 1989 to study, predict and prevent such problems. The impact of equipment malfunction can range from mere inconvenience to serious problems. The research group advises physicians and other health care professionals to learn how to spot problems related to EMI and electromagnetic compatibility.