As a hospital security director or facilities manager, you are tasked with keeping employees and guests safe. This already complex task is becoming increasingly difficult as populations grow and the demand for quality healthcare shows no signs of slowing down.
If you hope to maintain optimal levels of hospital safety, you will need to incorporate modern technologies into your security plan. Doing so will streamline your safety practices and allow you to more efficiently allocate resources, including security personnel.
Below, we have detailed 5 ways that modern technology can help to improve hospital safety.
1. Track Guests and Patients Effectively
One of the most notable benefits of a fully integrated suite of security and monitoring technologies is that it facilitates guest and patient tracking. The benefits of efficient and accurate tracking capabilities cannot be overstated when your goal is to improve hospital safety.
Tracking patients is of particular importance as “patient wandering” is a big issue when it comes to the security and well-being of patients and staff. An integrated security system will allow you to track patients in the event that they go roaming around the hospital. If your facility houses mentally ill subjects or elderly patients who are suffering from dementia, then tracking capabilities are vital.
You must also be able to track visitors. This can help you to prevent unauthorized guests from entering restricted-access areas, such as pre-op and post-op recovery floors or contaminated zones. As you know, it is often far too easy for a visitor to get turned around in the labyrinth of hospital rooms, storage areas, and nurses’ stations. Tracking systems can help to prevent unauthorized access.
2. Control Access Without Overstretching Staff
Imagine having to staff every major entry and exit point throughout your entire facility. Not only would this create a logistical nightmare, but it would also require a massive security budget that would be untenable for any facility.
Fortunately, modern technology has made access control much more efficient and practical. You can restrict access to intruders while also remotely admitting any authorized personnel. This allows you to optimize hospital safety without inconveniencing guests, team members, or patients.
Available solutions range from relatively simple badge-based systems to advanced biometric technologies. You can supplement these devices with two-way intercoms and cameras. This equipment allows security personnel to independently verify the legitimacy of guests from a centralized remote location.
3. Detect Security Threats Rapidly
Improving overall hospital safety is not only about access control. In fact, one of the most important aspects of improved security at your facility involves threat detection. Critical incidents rarely occur without warning. Oftentimes, an irate guest or malicious party will give you ample warning of an impending outburst.
If you want to increase your threat detection capabilities, then you will need to install ultra high-definition cameras and video management software. These cameras should be installed along the interior and exterior of your facility to cover all vital chokepoints, including entries and exits.
Video-based security strategies are a cost-effective means of addressing threats without placing too much strain on existing staffing. Security feeds can be monitored by one or two employees from a centralized location within the hospital. This allows them to relay invaluable information to responding security personnel.
Another advantage to video monitoring systems is that they are inconspicuous. Modern cameras allow you to improve hospital safety without damaging the patient experience. Cameras are far less threatening than a swarm of security staff, which allows you to achieve the ideal balance between the need for safety and customer service.
4. Optimize Patient Safety Protocols
As noted above, modern security technologies are a great way to track patients and guests. When patient tracking, access control, and modern camera systems are used in conjunction with one another, you can improve hospital safety and better protect patients.
For example, a patient elopement is one of the most high-liability events that your facility may encounter. Losing track of a mentally ill subject or elderly patient that is in cognitive decline can cost your hospital millions of dollars in lawsuits.
By implementing a first-rate security system, you can quickly locate any patient that may have wandered away from their assigned room. This allows you to notify the appropriate staff members and to take action to protect the patient. If your security system prevents a single elopement incident, it will pay for itself many times over.
5. Protect Your Staff in Vulnerable Areas
Unlike your average doctor’s office, hospitals are in operation 24/7/365. This constant influx of employees and guests creates unique needs in terms of hospital safety and security.
The typical hospital has staff teams that work a wide variety of shifts. This means that you will have employees coming and going at all hours of the night. While these staff members may not be on the clock yet, you are still responsible for their safety while they are on hospital property.
When you implement modern security technologies, your facility will be better equipped to protect your employees and guests. Ultra HD camera systems will give your security staff a bird’s eye view of vulnerable areas, such as parking garages and lots. You will also be able to monitor obscure doorways, including employee entrances.
Unlike internal cameras, these devices should be placed in conspicuous locations to deter crimes, such as vehicle burglaries and robberies. Implementing these tools will improve hospital safety and boost employee morale.
Securiteam
Are you ready to elevate the security practices at your facility? Do you believe that your hospital safety tools could use an upgrade? If so, then you need to partner with Securiteam.
For the last 15 years, Securiteam has provided our clients with advanced security solutions to meet their unique needs. We have experience in partnering with a variety of industries, including healthcare facilities.
When you incorporate our fully integrated suite of security technology into your facility, you will improve hospital safety, while becoming better equipped to protect your staff.
Our security solutions for healthcare facilities include:
- Connected business technologies
- Virtual security guards
- HD video surveillance
- Full-service access controls
- Automated gate controls
- Security, alert, and alarm systems
In addition, we provide comprehensive response and management systems. If you would like to learn more or to schedule a safety and security evaluation, contact Securiteam today!
