NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) - Instead of interfering with medical equipment and putting lives at risk as was previously thought, a new study says cell phones in hospitals may actually save lives, according to a report published Monday.

The time saved by flipping open a phone and giving clear directions, as opposed to relying on the dated pager, is associated with a 22 percent reduction in the risk of medical error, according to an article in The New York Times.

The Times cited a study in a recent industry publication that polled 4,000 participants at a meeting of anesthesiologists in 2003. The respondents said interference with medical equipment was rare -- only 2.4 percent reported seeing such a problem, according to the Times.

Over the past 20 years, the power output of cell phones has decreased, while the shielding around medical equipment has gotten better, one doctor told the newspaper.

The study also found that of the 702 respondents who used cell phones as their primary means of communication while at work, more than half worked in hospitals that banned their use, the Times reported.

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