Better testing sought for how wireless medical devices will interact

Hospitals and technology experts want the federal government to help create a platform or protocols for making sure medical devices can co-exist and interact on crowded wireless networks without disrupting one another. Wireless technology promises more seamless interaction of medical devices and information technology in hospitals. But without more-effective testing, it can be difficult to tell whether introducing a new wireless device will interfere with (or be disrupted by) other traffic on the network. Participants at a conference convened by the Federal Communications Commission and the Food and Drug Administration called on the agencies to help address the problem.