The healthcare industry is understandably fixated on putting strong cybersecurity policies into place. After all, over 100 data breaches were recorded between January and the end of April this year, putting patient data and patient lives at risk. Most recently, the second largest hospital chain, CommonSpirit Health was recently hit with an unprecedented attack that caused widespread system outages that endangered patient lives.
And yet, as the industry focuses on cyberattacks, physical security is often overlooked. But in the second quarter of 2022 alone, more than 5,000 nurses suffered personal assault on the job, with perpetrators ranging from patients to family members, and intruders. With healthcare staffing shortages continuing to climb the American Hospital Association is declaring a national emergency in all areas of healthcare, from medical labs to clinics and hospitals.
To retain good healthcare talent, medical labs and hospitals must create a safe working environment, a task that is achievable using proper physical surveillance technologies.
Using Physical Surveillance Technologies to Protect Healthcare Workers
Healthcare workers have a tough enough job to do without being worried about their physical safety while on the job. To create a safer work environment, labs, clinics, and hospitals must invest in security systems that include a high level of physical surveillance. Here are some options to include:
Cameras for Real-Time Monitoring
New technologies that offer real-time monitoring and audio analytics can help security teams respond more quickly to potential incidents. A video management system that dovetails will current surveillance systems can provide cohesive management of video feeds and prioritize camera feed where potential incidents are occurring.
Access Control for Better Security
Healthcare facilities often have several spaces that require limited or restricted access. To ensure only authorized personnel are gaining access to these areas, cameras with facial recognition abilities are essential. Using facial recognition software, hospitals can correctly identify authorized patients and personnel and reduce the probability of intruders on site.
Infrared and Thermal Cameras for Increased Protection
Infrared security cameras can see into the darkness to keep dark corridors, outdoor areas, and poorly lit spaces under observation. Coupled with a thermal component that tracks anything that emits heat, such as a human body or animals. Using one or both of these technologies means that poor visibility due to weather conditions, dim lighting, power outages, or time of day does not obstruct your security team’s ability to remain alert to intruders and incidents. In fact, thermography can even help alert teams to fires at their earliest stages for a extra added layer of protection.
Finally, no matter which physical surveillance tools you use to protect your healthcare staff from incidents, you will need to train your security team as well as other staff on proper protocols and procedures, as well as on the use of equipment. If you partner with a competent third party service provider, you can further insure that your infrastructure is correctly configured to make the most of your physical surveillance system and that routine maintenance and updates are performed that will keep your system — and your staff — safer from harm.
Blue Technologies Has the IT Skills Necessary to Properly Manage Physical Security
Physical security and surveillance are a serious concern for today’s healthcare facilities, whether they are medical labs, walk-in clinics, or in-patient treatment centers. Importantly, today’s smart surveillance equipment ties into a building’s IT infrastructure, making managing your IT resources — and cybersecurity — an essential task when implementing a physical security strategy.
At Blue Technologies, we have a team of IT experts that are adept at both managing IT infrastructure and creating cybersecurity barriers to help your organization protect not only your staff, but also your vital data. Our team can help make installing a physical surveillance system easier and more secure by ensuring your underlying infrastructure is secure and able to handle the additional load.
Protect staff and patient physical safety with a strong IT infrastructure. Contact a Blue Technologies consultant to learn how our team of IT and cybersecurity experts can help you incorporate physical surveillance into your facility.
