key: cord-0993489-4ojqfdbt
authors: Brown, Craig S.; Biesterveld, Ben E.; Waits, Seth A.
title: Hey Doctor! Did You Wash Your Smartphone?
date: 2020-04-20
journal: J Gen Intern Med
DOI: 10.1007/s11606-020-05847-6
sha: cd80f957ff5d1dac9995a432d8a7156177e93e0a
doc_id: 993489
cord_uid: 4ojqfdbt

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Local quarantines and shelter in place orders due to the COVID-19 pandemic are necessitating the rapid adoption of new telehealth techniques. New policy efforts to waive Medicare restrictions on telehealth will pave the way for providers to accelerate adoption of e-visits and other technology-related healthcare interventions, thus creating ever more contact with our smartphones and tablets. Additionally, as a means to spread knowledge, many providers are turning to social media (e.g., Twitter) as a means to share experiences, spread knowledge, and live the experience within a supporting community. These "on the fly" communications often take place at the point of patient care, offering a point of exposure for these connected devices.

Thankfully, mobile technology is nearly universally easy to clean. Large technology companies such as Apple® have updated guidelines on smartphone cleaning, suggesting that smartphone cleaning can be as simple as application of 70% isopropyl alcohol or disinfecting wipe [7] . These are easy interventions and have been shown to reduce viral and bacterial loads by > 99%. The average American touches their phone 47 times per day; this simple intervention can help to keep those touches clean.

A new microbial threat to our patients will always be on the horizon. By asking our medical and surgical teams to clean their smartphones daily and keep them away from patient care areas when possible, we hope to decrease pathogenic exposure. Look at the bright side-keeping the smartphone in our pocket may even help us to pay better attention to the people who matter the most, our patients.

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