The healthcare industry has been under increased pressure—especially in the last couple of years. Working with an innovative technology system designed for this type of environment can help. A Genetec open and unified physical security solution improves day-to-day operations so that your staff can work smarter—by enhancing the patient experience and keeping people, buildings, and even your data, safe.

How unified systems exceed expectations in healthcare

None of these situations can be addressed without a quick, informed response from security staff. The problem is that healthcare organization (HCO) security professionals are often slow to respond because they struggle to track down the information needed from multiple disjointed systems. And they may ultimately spend significant time searching for a common response that seems like a needle in a haystack.

A unified security system built on an open architecture can help by enabling security professionals to see everything in one pane of glass so they can take prompt action. This, in turn, improves the patient experience. In addition to improving response time to typical security-related requests, this unified information can also improve patient throughput, patient privacy, employee recruitment, cybersecurity, and more.

#1: Create a positive patient experience

The need to increase safety is not the only issue prompting the adoption of additional security systems. The desire to provide positive patient experiences is also fueling the demand for new security technologies. As many HCOs expand through mergers and acquisitions, security leaders often adopt and need to manage dozens of disparate security technologies.

A unified platform allows HCOs to show a measurable return on their initial investments. Adding security systems and sensors to the mix as needed makes sure the initial investment is optimal in the long run and that the system can always seamlessly ingest data and present useful information to end users.

#2: Improve patient and staff flow

Working with security systems in healthcare can mean dealing with issues such as patient wandering and infant abduction. However, security systems can be used
for much more. Through a unified access control platform, HCOs can manage the flow of people based on a number of different attributes – including roles and qualifications.

Identification (ID) readers can help improve patient flow. When using ID readers, clinicians simply swipe their IDs or phones to gain access to EMRs and other systems to immediately start treating patients. With this system in place, they don’t have to waste time entering a username and password. The throughput of the staff affects the throughput of the patient. In addition, better control of clinical supplies can help reduce costs and improve availability.

#3: Enhance patient privacy

Security can often seem in contrast with privacy. From a security and patient experience standpoint, the more data collected about a person and their actions, the better. From a privacy perspective, however, the less personal information is revealed or shared, the better. A unified security platform can help bridge this gap by anonymizing and protecting a person’s identity while still providing the information needed to achieve safety goals.

#4: Recruit and retain employees

A good safety record can serve as a recruiting tool when trying to attract nurses, doctors, and other personnel who may have apprehensions. Along with sharing their safety statistics, healthcare organizations can promote safety initiatives as employee benefits.

A unified security system can reduce the amount of false and nuisance alarms by 80% or more, ensuring that security staff are more focused, present, and available to respond to situations.

#5: Bolster cybersecurity

To protect sensitive information, it’s important to ensure that only authorized users have access to data from security systems and sensors. Typically, however, that means managing who does and does not have access to a vast array of technologies. This can seem like a very demanding task, as many HCOs protect employees and staff via an array of technologies including door controllers, intercoms, cameras, and more. Security leaders need to find a way to protect the data that flows in and out of these sensors.

A unified platform provides a single dashboard confirming that all communications are encrypted. With such a platform, a system with thousands of sensors can be managed from one location, making maintaining security much easier.

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Want more information on any of the technologies discussed in this article? Contact Convergint today and speak with an expert to learn more!

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