The post-COVID world is still struggling to come to terms with the tragic loss of human life triggered by the complete breakdown of health services and unclear response mechanisms to combat a shape-shifting virus. Healthcare staff shortage surfaced as a significant concern among others, crippling healthcare systems the world over. It’s 2024, and organizations, people, and policymakers are ramping up healthcare facilities to fight future invasions of epidemic nature. Healthcare facility security is a critical element of effective patient care. The safety of the treated and the treating is of paramount importance.
In this recent blog, we will explore the dynamics of the healthcare sector and the critical healthcare security challenges it faces. As the world moves towards digitalization, we look into the innovative solutions Brooklyn Computer Systems, Inc. (BCS) offers to address these issues effectively.
The patient takes center stage in all discourse related to healthcare security issues. The healthcare system exists to serve them.
Let’s examine how a robust healthcare facility security mechanism, combining the best elements of human interventions and innovative digital solutions, removes roadblocks to effective patient care.
Ensuring Patient Privacy
Whether it’s a hospital, long-term care clinics, or other healthcare facilities, the safety and security of patients and restricted access to them and their records is paramount. Healthcare organizations can enhance patient privacy and build trust in the healthcare system by taking necessary measures.
Patient Confidentiality
Ensuring patient confidentiality goes beyond legal requirements and is the cornerstone of ethical healthcare practice. Healthcare professionals are bound to protect patients’ privacy, irrespective of their many identities, and keep their medical information confidential.
Data breach responsibilities
Most healthcare facilities in the U.S. and elsewhere still keep patients’ physical records and implement strict access controls to ensure that only authorized personnel can access patient information. Still, we have many reports of data breaches.
The U.S. HSS reports that 80% of the reported healthcare breaches are attributed to hacking, while unauthorized contributed to 15%. Here, a full-proof healthcare facility security system can reduce such occurrences.
Deterring patient elopement
When a patient leaves the healthcare facility on his own against medical permission, it is termed patient elopement. It can occur due to various reasons. The patient could be experiencing confusion, dementia, agitation, dissatisfaction, or simply the legal status that triggers him to take the step. Whatever may be the case, the healthcare staff shortage aggravates the situation. Deploying security systems acts as a deterrent and helps bring down workplace violence incidents.
Security during healthcare staff shortage
Facilities may face healthcare staff shortages, which may be unseen, such as when responding to in-house or outside emergencies, which involves staff mobilization or lack of professionals during certain times of the year. Employing security personnel with innovative technologies ensures peace of mind and unhindered patient care.
Tackling potential workplace violence in medical centers
The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) defines workplace violence (WPV) as an act or threat of violence that ranges from verbal abuse to physical assault at the workplace or against persons in charge.
Other data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics confirms that healthcare workers are five times more likely to experience violent incidents compared to other industries. Investing in healthcare facility security is to mitigate these risks and safeguard the well-being of medical staff.
Prohibiting opioid addiction
US’s opioid crisis is not new, and reasons abound. One of the most certain ones is the overprescription of opioids [natural and semi-synthetic opioids and methadone]. The wave that started in the mid-1990s soon became a crisis and is still an apparent concern today in the US.
Death from overdose has skyrocketed and endangers public health, the economy, and national security. Prohibition laws have failed to produce results. Healthcare facilities and deaddiction centers need security professionals to combat the menace of opioid addiction.
Technology plays a key role in identification, social communication, and observing errant individuals.
Handling discrimination
The zero-tolerance clause for discriminatory behavior in healthcare facilities often fails to meet its expectations. Most often, study suggests discriminatory practices occur, especially in reproductive healthcare settings. It can also take the form of a service user being denied treatment because they are ‘too old’ or can take subtle forms, such as restricting a young employee from opportunities due to age considerations.
Thanks to the emergence of digital technologies, healthcare facilities are taking their first steps toward digital transformation to secure workplaces by implementing enhanced physical security system management.
Protests handling
By integrating strategies, healthcare facilities can equip themselves to handle protests, prioritize safety, and ensure unhindered quality patient care in challenging circumstances. When fully utilized, these systems will make up for the healthcare staff shortage.
It helps to quickly disseminate information to healthcare staff, security personnel, and other relevant stakeholders, where mass notification systems and secure messaging platforms enhance coordination and response efforts.
Digital systems coordinated with security systems facilitate real-time information sharing and monitoring between healthcare security and law enforcement.
Resisting Child Abduction
Healthcare facilities should create a comprehensive and layered approach to deter and resist child abduction. According to the US report assessing data from 1997 to 2016, 66% of infants abducted were from hospitals. Child abduction raises critical questions about healthcare security and safety parameters.
How can healthcare facility security help to curb such occurrences? Implementation of robust visitor management systems, incident tracking software, coupled with strict identification protocols for both staff and visitors, AI-enabled systems trained to pick suspicious behavior, strategically placed surveillance cameras, controlled access to maternity and pediatric wards, training sessions, and drills by security professionals to gain insight into child abduction prevention procedures will go a long way in acting as a long-term solution.
Implementation of tough regulatory changes
It’s not often easy to align operations and management to regulatory changes. Implementing challenging regulatory changes in healthcare facilities requires a strategic and systematic approach to ensure compliance while maintaining the security and efficiency of operations.
The security team has to closely coordinate with legal experts, security experts, and relevant stakeholders to make the necessary adjustments. The security policies need updating. It might be a challenging transition. All these require a framework where security plays a crucial role in addressing healthcare security issues.
Health care security solutions offered by BCS
BCS provides comprehensive healthcare security solutions, integrating advanced access control, surveillance systems, and guard monitoring software to ensure regulatory compliance and safety at healthcare facilities.
Our tailored solutions prioritize the safety of healthcare facilities, staff, and patients while addressing the evolving challenges of the healthcare security landscape. We take through our offerings that are the best in the market.
Access control system integration
You control the access points, and you have averted mishaps! These points of vulnerability are soft spots in your security structure. BCS offers state-of-the-art access control systems integrating biometrics, key card access, and visitor management, ensuring only authorized entry into secure spaces.
You can combine it with our security guard management software if you have deployed security guards on your premises, offering a 360-degree approach to security. If you are looking for full-proof access solutions, BCS has the answer.
Security monitoring equipment installation
Your healthcare security facility needs a robust monitoring mechanism on your premises. Using advanced CCTV cameras and real-time monitoring solutions, BCS fortifies the security of healthcare facilities. Video analytics detect unusual activities, instantly alerting security personnel of potential threats.
Deployment of incident tracking systems
Incident tracking systems are a must-have for healthcare infrastructure. We understand healthcare spaces can turn into incident spots, jeopardizing patient care, caregivers, and security of high-end equipment, which may quickly escalate into unfortunate events.
BCS’s incident tracking software is a one-stop solution to tracking woes. It equips healthcare facilities to effectively record and keep a sharp digital eye on security incidents, enabling prompt responses and precise reporting. You can deploy it to ensure no incident escapes your radar.
Integration of emergency security notification
Free flow of communication is critical for healthcare facilities. Be it access to services, patient care during golden hours, reinforcing supplies, mobilizing staff, or as a component of seamless service. It assumes high importance during emergency hours.
BCS helps you integrate emergency notification systems into your security architecture that allows quick dissemination of service critical information during crises, thereby improving overall emergency preparedness.
Patient security monitoring solution deployment
BCS offers patient monitoring solutions to prevent elopement and ensure the safety of vulnerable patients, providing healthcare providers with peace of mind.
The healthcare security software, which we have named VHS, serves two motives- the old and vulnerable depend on the caregivers, making it essential for healthcare facilities to prioritize the security of their workers. VHS software is the perfect solution and offers much more.
Wrapping up
With the rapid deployment of digital systems worldwide, innovators constantly try to make healthcare affordable and safe. Digital cost-effective solutions to strengthen healthcare facility security go a long way in addressing the security needs of healthcare facilities.
BCS is committed to ensuring the safety and security of healthcare environments through advanced security software and hardware. By acknowledging the distinctive challenges and implementing inventive solutions, healthcare facilities can focus on their primary mission – delivering exceptional care to patients with confidence in their safety.