By Paul Baratta

In recent years, there has been an increase in the workplace violence rate in hospitals. Canada, the United States, and Australia have said that workplace violence is a pandemic of itself in healthcare, where clinicians, security and nursing are dealing with physical and verbal attacks more than ever before.

It’s, of course, no surprise with the current pandemic healthcare crisis, talent shortages, protesting and overall, an environment of heightened aggression. Hospitals and urgent care personnel are working around the clock treating COVID-19, managing patient backlog and soon, we will be amid that predicted autumn/winter surge with a looming flu season not far off.

As a result of this increased volatile atmosphere, hospitals and urgent care centres have been looking into modern technologies and asking how such can help provide quality care while minimizing in-person visits to decrease the possibility of exposure. Furthermore, there are questions on it that can be used to help better protect PPE equipment in temporary facilities, and provide additional safety, health, and security protection for staff and even patients.

As we are witnessing, the impact of COVID-19 is not short-term. It’s driving the need for facilities to put into place long-term practices and adopt new technologies. Technologies that improve hospital and urgent care management today, but also address requirements for tomorrow.

Access control acts as a force multiplier and puts security in focus

Preventing the transmission of coronavirus in high traffic healthcare settings is without question, critical. Hospitals can get a handle on the virus by utilizing an access control system. This eliminates keypads thus reducing the number of shared access points. It can also be paired with a third-party system to automatically open and shut doors – further removing the need to touch any surface, such as a door handle.

The type of access control solution required, depends on a hospital’s needs. For small, basic installations, low touch access control that utilizes a QR code could do the work. It creates a credential with validity date and time. In this case, the employee receives the QR code, and from there, the network door controller receives their information and recognizes them. When they use the QR code, the system grants them access. Facilities can use a similar setup with RFID.

If there’s a need for more advanced security requirements, facilities can consider a more robust solution that encompasses an array of technologies not solely surveillance or security related. Such a system, takes advantage of the latest analytics and integrates seamlessly with other systems, such as intrusion detection, HVAC unit, HR systems, etc. Depending on the system, the network intercom or video door station, for example, could even play a pre-recorded announcement for the visitor to wear a mask before entering the building.

Hospitals can screen employees, visitors, and vendors upon entry by using a cross-line detection application, network surveillance camera, and a network horn speaker. When someone enters a predefined area, the solution automatically triggers an audio message.

Along with helping to mitigate the spread of viruses, access control solutions can help hospitals and urgent care centres better protect against unauthorized access, drug diversion, and protection of PPE and sensitive patient files.

Within hospitals and urgent care facilities, there are numerous locations that need to be well-secured. For example, restricted units with immune compromised patients, surgical units, or quarantined areas. An access control system helps by ensuring only authorized personnel enter these zones. If operations are looking to safeguard these quarters and mitigate the spread of infection, something like low touch access control is ideal.

Outside of a hospital setting, you can potentially have control over the system wherever you are with remote monitoring and communication. From any location, you can remotely open a door or speak to the person via your smartphone. A forced or propped open door can automatically trigger an alarm – this could improve business efficiencies as it reduces false alarms and makes managing staff easier.

The role of wearable solutions in decreasing workplace violence

Wearable solutions have demonstrated they can decrease violent events in healthcare facilities. These devices have been employed in some healthcare facilities with audio solutions, by security and clinical staff to document events and situations.

If hospitals are looking to decrease violent instances, wearable solutions are quite effective at doing this. Consider a recent study by the National Health Services of Great Britain. It showed a reduction of violence towards nurses, other clinical staff, and users. It’s also moderating the way in which staff respond to patients. Some mental health wards in the UK have experienced a 28 percent reduction in workplace violence due to implementing body worn video solutions.

Nowadays, more people are brought to emergency rooms by law enforcement. They are evaluated for mental health reasons, and hospital security directors and clinical staff are reporting incidents of hostile behavioural events and an increase in physical and medical restraints. With body worn solutions, staff have reported a decrease in events, restraints, and other intervention due to both security and clinical staff announcing they are recording the event. The warning to people that they are being recorded, reduces the incidence of violence, and provides for documentation in case of the need for persecution.

Other use cases for wearables in healthcare include documenting the movement of patients from hospital beds to specialized departments, such as for x-rays, and in behavioural health wards to document staff interaction with patients and their guests. Clinical staff may consider using these devices to document surgeries, facilitate training purposes, and in simulation rooms with student residence.

Privacy should be at the forefront

One common theme to consider, and this applies to all surveillance solutions in hospitals and urgent care facilities, is around patient and visitor privacy.

Camera devices seem to be a concern regarding the expectation of privacy of patients, staff, and visitors given the sensitivities of the healthcare environment and the legal and regulatory circumstances they require.

A set of standards have been put into place to protect certain healthcare information, and this type of video footage qualifies as such: this law in Canada is instituted by the provinces as a Personal Health Information Privacy Legislation for the Health Sector. However, under law enforcement laws, hospitals will only disclose health information if required by law, under court order, warrant or subpoena to identify or locate a suspect, fugitive, witness, or missing person.

In response to law enforcement, officials will request information about a victim or suspected victim of a crime to alert law enforcement of a death. Hospitals are obliged by federal and local laws to inform police of any serious crime, the location of the victims, and perpetrator of a crime if they have the information.

Surveillance solutions for today, tomorrow and the future

Surveillance solutions installed today by hospitals and urgent care centres should not be a short-term fix unless it’s for a temporary facility. They should be adopted with the intention of them being a long-term answer that can help improve safety and quality of care today, as well as in many situations that could potentially occur in the future.

Security and operations teams, need to ask themselves “Where do we start”? They should look to partner with a provider that will work with them by understanding their facility’s unique requirements. Network surveillance solutions should be integrated with other systems, and they should be adaptable, flexible and scalable.

Paul Baratta is the Segment Development Manager for healthcare for Axis Communications.