Healthcare Security: Challenges and Solutions

The healthcare industry deals with many security threats. It is a growing concern with each passing day, and security personnel needs to look for various solutions to minimize it. Institutions are using mass communication systems to curb threats and report the violence to the concerned authorities.

Furthermore, access control in healthcare institutes also needs a revisit by different security personnel to make the workplace safer. It is important to develop an integrated security system to monitor and program different access points. This step will help minimize unauthorized personnel to help protect healthcare professionals, patients, and other first responders. These points will also keep a record of everyone who enters through these access points.

How Mass Communication Capabilities Help Manage Physical Security Threats In Healthcare Facilities

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 75% of nonfatal workplace injuries and illnesses to healthcare workers in 2018 were due to violence. These numbers show an alarming situation, so it is important to manage healthcare security threats in the best way possible to avoid any unfortunate events. Therefore, security professionals are coming up with unique solutions, one of which is to use mass communication systems, radios specifically, in different health care facilities.

Radios in the healthcare setting help with internal communications within healthcare facilities to report different instances of security threats or violence. These systems allow the staff to report such incidents to the concerned authorities discreetly and in real-time. These radio systems directly connect to officials such as safety officers assigned to handle violent incidents and other teams for management.

To cater to security threats in the healthcare sector, it is important to prepare for all emergencies and communicate all the crisis details. Healthcare facilities need to make sure that they can provide a safe and secure environment for everyone there. That doesn’t just include the patients but all the healthcare professionals and visitors on the facility’s premises.

This can prove very difficult as these healthcare centers work round the clock to keep track of all their activities. Moreover, healthcare facilities often spread over a large area, making managing these situations in different wings more difficult. Therefore, there is an evident need for emergency services in the hospital environment that can report to an incident quickly. Crisis communication is important to help people from different departments stay in touch through messages.

These mass communication systems must be easy to use, allowing anyone to pick up and contact relevant authorities with ease. For ease of use, there can be a panic button that the hospital staff presses and inform the authorities. Additionally, this will ensure that authorities can use the system and alert the concerned security personnel.

Integrating the mass communication system with the healthcare facility’s existing security system is important. This integrated system ensures that healthcare professionals won't have to learn an entirely new system, and shifting to a new mass communication system will not be too difficult. Other than security threats, this system is also useful for instances where there are emergencies such as natural calamities.

Strategies To Prevent Security Threats

Here are two of the most common security threat prevention strategies in the Healthcare sector.

Many to One

The many-to-one system works because a single security system allows for input from multiple sources. This is a very effective system as it gets more information from multiple sources within the healthcare facility. These sources can include different surveillance cameras or even alarm systems. These systems could also include staff members and other security personnel stationed at certain points, which is already a common strategy that many healthcare facilities use. 

One to Many

One to many is also a  healthcare security system that can help prevent security threats. This system is a central security system that gives information to different people. While certainly useful, it is the most effective when informing people about an unfortunate situation. The central security system can spread messages to multiple people in different ways. However, the spread of information needs to be discreet.

They can use systems such as alerts to healthcare members on their cellular devices or on radios.  

Even though both systems are effective, a facility should use them together as a step-by-step process to prevent threats and increase workplace security. For example, with the many to one system, the internal security will first gather all the information and then use the one to many systems to spread the gathered information to everyone in question.

Standards To Prevent Security Threats In Healthcare Facilities  

Security threats can result in other issues. For instance, the most important consequence can be the reduced quality of patient care. If the hospital staff suffers from workplace violence, they will not be able to perform their duties to the best of their abilities. This will affect the care that patients receive, putting them in difficult situations.

Furthermore, it can cause psychological distress to individual who suffer from security threats through different channels. This psychological distress can affect their mental health and cause them much bigger problems such as dissatisfaction with their jobs, which will eventually turn into employee turnover. More people will want to leave their current job for better opportunities with a much safer environment, along with other perks.

These problems are important to deal with before they progress into something unmanageable. Therefore, the Joint Commission has developed new workplace requirements for all accredited hospitals to improve security for patients and healthcare staff.

Along with preventing security threats, it is important for the security personnel to come up with ways that can help patients or healthcare workers inform their loved ones about the situation. They must also provide safe ways for visitors to come in and leave these healthcare facilities. This will also help provide exit access to patients in nursing homes.

Provisions of Joint Commission

Many things can count as workplace violence. This is why the first thing the joint commission has done is to define exactly what Workplace violence is. The next thing they did was establish leadership oversight. It allows the commission to ensure that security leadership is qualified to take over. They are also going to determine what the worksite to looks like easily come up with a security system with the specifics of the worksite in mind.

The next thing to focus on is the development of different policies and procedures that may help prevent workplace violence. These can include different policies unique to the specific healthcare institute. The Joint Commission also wants to set uniform standards for all the reporting systems to provide the same high-quality security to all the healthcare organizations.

Preventing Workplace violence or minimizing threats is not enough. A facility will also need to put precautions and safety plans in place if such an incident happens. To do that, you need to develop different strategies that can help healthcare units deal with the aftermath of such scenarios.

Training is always one of the most important steps to prevent the spread of workplace violence. Healthcare professionals should receive the right training to prevent workplace violence. This training must also include instances where medical experts receive training on what to do in case such instances happen. 

SCDATACOM Can Help you Secure your Healthcare Facilities  

If you are looking for experts who can help you identify security threats in healthcare facilities, you should contact SCDATACOM.

SCDATACOM gives you the best experts who have professional training in preventative maintenance. To ensure that your space is as safe as possible, SCDATACOM will send our experienced technical team to install the best video surveillance system. They will also inspect all the software and hardware necessary for the system to ensure that everything is working perfectly and help identify where improvements can be made.

With our team, you can get a comprehensive report on the health of your system and how you can improve any gaps in your security plan. If you need help upping your security, then all you need to do is call SCDATACOM, and we will be ready to help you right away. With our team of seasoned experts and high-quality service, your healthcare facility will be much safer.

With us, you will always remain a priority. Call today talk to our representatives via chat!

Contact via live chat or phone at (912) 777-5721.

We are here to help you make your space safer for everyone!