How to keep up with patient safety and privacy in hospitals

Teams and practitioners at hospitals and healthcare clinics are always on the go. You want your facilities to be accessible and welcoming, and ensure employees and patients operate safely.

Did you know that those working in healthcare and social services are five times more prone to experiencing workplace violence injuries compared to workers in other industries? Many healthcare facilities report that over half of nurses have experienced abuse, harassment, or assault within the first year of working.

Unsurprisingly, holding onto employees and dealing with the healthcare staffing shortage has become a real challenge. The demanding nature of healthcare roles pushed many doctors, nurses, and other providers to exit their jobs. With less staff, organizations are feeling the pressure to choose solutions that amp up safety, compliance, and productivity.

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How technology has made a difference

Your security operators have the difficult task of managing site security while addressing the unexpected, such as violent outbursts or cyber threats.

To protect the patient experience, your healthcare security practice can add value by providing operational insights to other departments and helping them find more efficient ways to function. The good news is that technology has created hope in this challenging environment. Solutions with incident management capabilities that consider privacy and compliance can transform how your organization manages security.

Leveraging tools such as video surveillance systems can help address incidents the moment they happen and collect evidence to collaborate with law enforcement. Yet, dealing with evidence can't be separated from the need to follow data privacy rules like the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) and the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA). This means investigations must be carefully planned and demand tools that remain compliant.

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Why digital evidence management systems (DEMS) are revolutionizing the industry

One powerful solution that stands out is adopting a digital evidence management system (DEMS). These systems speed up investigations by securely collecting, managing, and sharing digital evidence from various sources with first responders and auditors. Implementing a DEMS also allows healthcare institutions to work more efficiently.

For example, in a busy hospital, a slip-and-fall incident can occur when a patient accidentally steps on a wet surface, resulting in an injury. Hospital staff need to respond to the incident immediately, ensure the patient's safety, provide medical attention, and document the details of the incident.

 

 

Centralize evidence and easily manage video recordings 

Consolidate evidence from disparate sources such as body cameras, smartphones, and security systems in one ecosystem; so you can better organize and link digital evidence to different incidents. 

Share and review evidence efficiently for a safe environment 

Facilitate collaboration by sharing evidence at the click of a button and streamline the management of video requests from law enforcement, legal, and insurance. 

Ensure data security and align with compliance requirements 

Protect all your data and video footage with encryption for the highest security standards and track all activity to maintain the chain of custody. 

Core elements of a DEMS:

 

  Evidence collection

Hospital security personnel utilize surveillance cameras placed throughout the facility to collect video footage of the incident. This footage captures the exact moment when the patient slipped and fell.

  Uploading evidence

The video footage and incident reports are securely uploaded to the evidence management system.

  Centralized storage

All evidence is stored in a centralized and secure location, ensuring it remains tamper-proof and easily accessible only to authorized personnel.

  Efficient collaboration

Hospital staff, legal teams, and insurance adjusters can access the uploaded evidence remotely. This allows for efficient collaboration and review of the incident details.

  Case management

The hospital's legal team initiates a case within the platform to track the incident's progress. They can also assign tasks related to the investigation and monitor the case's status.

  Policy compliance

The system can help hospitals adhere to policies and procedures related to incident management and evidence retention, ensuring regulatory compliance.

  Secure sharing

When necessary, evidence can be securely shared internally and with external parties, such as insurance companies or legal representatives, to facilitate claims processing or litigation.

Digital evidence management systems such as Genetec Clearance™ can also be paired with body-worn cameras to better protect security personnel and de-escalate situations. Clearance has built-in redaction capabilities, helping you protect the identity of bystanders. The solution’s automatic face detection and its intuitive interface can allow inexperienced users to start redacting immediately while keeping the original evidence unaltered.

Navigating data privacy concerns

Staying compliant with data protection regulations means you need to keep patient records safe. With the right security platform, you can protect your data from unauthorized parties and define how access is granted.

With growing data privacy concerns, having a comprehensive solution that covers both investigations and privacy regulations is vital. Adding video redaction tools to a single application makes security teams work more efficiently. Instead of using separate software, this streamlined approach handles compliance and ensures the investigation process remains intact.

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How Lee Health manages security across 20 sites and counting

Lee Health, Florida's largest healthcare provider, experienced firsthand how Genetec Clearance enhanced its operations. By streamlining video retrieval, the team can now quickly locate and review footage to verify claims, which significantly reduced liability cases. This improvement not only strengthened facility security—ensuring the safety of patients and staff—but also helped maintain compliance with GDPR and HIPAA regulations.