Page 29 - Security Today, May/June 2020

“Hospitals are adding video analytics to detect and prevent tailgating incidents and suspicious loitering at entry points and fire exits.”
If audio analytics are employed, the cameras can detect the sounds of patient stress and provide an early warning of con- cern. Using network cameras in this role is especially useful for patients in private rooms or where staff-to-patient ratios are be- ing stretched to the limit.
Medical facilities like Lee Health and Nemours Children’s Hos- pital in Florida are good examples of this type of deployment.
REDUCING VIOLENCE
Another major concern for hospitals is workplace violence. Health- care workers can be easy targets for patients or family members’ rage, confusion or anxiety. In fact, workplace violence is four times higher for hospital staff than any other profession – everything from verbal abuse to physical assault. According to the Becker’s Hospital Review, a publication for hospital decision-makers, over 66% of nurses report having experienced workplace violence. This has led to a negative im- pact on patient care due to stress-related absences and burnout.
To counteract the problem, hospitals are deploying intelligent surveillance system to better protect staff and patients. They’re integrating their network cameras with their access control sys- tems to ensure only authorized personnel enter restricted areas like operating arenas and pharmacies. They’re adding video ana- lytics to detect and prevent tailgating incidents and suspicious loitering at entry points and fire exits.
They’re linking network cameras with network audio systems so that security monitoring the cameras can direct verbal warnings over network loudspeakers to anyone engaging in negative behavior. They’re quipping their cameras with intelligence audio analytics like aggression detection that can instantly notify security staff of potentially danger- ous interactions —far faster than the time it takes to phone for help or activate a panic button – so o that responders arrive on the scene faster and hopefully defuse the situation before it escalates.
Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Hospital in Los Angeles is a good example of this type of deployment.
MITIGATING LAWSUITS
To fend off accusations of misconduct, some hospitals are equip- ping their public safety officers, emergency responders and am- bulance/transport staff with body worn cameras (BWCs) to document their interactions with patients, visitors and the gen- eral public. These wireless-network cameras are like those used by law enforcement and serve a similar purpose: defend against complaints and reduce the risk of costly litigation.
Despite the obvious advantages, many hospitals have been re- luctant to adopt BWC technology due to concerns about HIPAA compliance and individual privacy. The easiest way for a hospital’s security technology team to allay these concerns is to establish proce- dures to handle BWC footage the same as any other video captured by hospital cameras and stored on hospital servers. This means con- figuring the video management system to only allow HIPAA-com- pliant personnel to watch streaming video and review stored footage and instituting strict policies and procedures for access.
PRIVACY CONCERNS
While there’s often little expectation of privacy during a hospital stay, some hospitals are configuring their camera systems to help them intrude less frequently on their patients without sacrific- ing the quality of care. Nemours Children’s Hospital is a case in point. Paramedics continuously monitor the vital signs of high- risk patients from a tactical logistics center. If a concern arises, like a sudden spike in temperature, the paramedic turns on the bedside network camera to see how the patient is doing.
If the situation warrants, the paramedic alerts a rapid re- sponse team to address the problem. If patient is fine, the cam- era is turned off. Since an LED light automatically illuminates whenever the camera is live, it affords the patient some privacy while assuring that their health is being closely monitored even when medical staff isn’t in the room. This arrangement also helps dramatically reduce false alarms and avoid unnecessary code blues.
Remote video monitoring can also be used to independently verify that clinicians are following procedural checklists, adminis- tering the correct dosage of medication or performing other clini- cal activity on a timely basis. It’s this kind of checks and balances that not only assures proper patient care but also averts potential problems that could lead to litigation.
When it comes to the privacy of employees and the general public, other rules may apply, depending on the hospital and the state in which it operates.
For instance, many states require that hospitals publicly post that the premises are under active video and audio surveillance. In most states, anyone committing a crime or trespassing in re- stricted areas automatically relinquishes their right privacy in reference to being recorded. Employees, on the other hand, are sometimes protected by union rules and therefore have some ex- pectation of privacy in carrying out their duties.
In some states there is a two-party expectation of privacy re- garding audio recording. In the case of audio analytics, however, HIPAA concerns don’t apply since the microphones are only lis- tening for specific sound patterns, rather than conversations, and the audio isn’t being recorded and stored.
To ensure compliance with HIPAA, local and state regula- tions, hospitals should always implement a strong policy regard- ing virtual patient observation and viewing, storing and releasing recordings from conventional and body worn cameras. Further- more, those policies should be developed with input from the hospital’s risk management and/or legal department to ensure HIPAA compliance and reduce any liability.
MULTIPLYING THE ROI FROM NETWORK CAMERAS
As network cameras continue to advance, it’s clear that their value can extend far beyond hospital security. The situational aware- ness they provide – whether through virtual patient observation, traditional surveillance of activity using conventional and body worn cameras, or video and audio analytics – can help hospitals respond more quickly and decisively to critical
events, reduce patient falls and injuries, improve patient care, avert costly litigation and safeguard the welfare of patients, staff, and visitors.
Paul Baratta is the segment development man- ager, Healthcare, Axis Communications Inc.
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