Page 54 - Security Today, July/August 2021

Turning to the Cloud
Healthcare organizations turn to video surveillance to improve patient care and operations,
as well as security By Ken Francis
The ability to reliably and quickly access video from anywhere at any time is something healthcare organiza- tions have come to rely on. There are so many different examples: a nurse does a quick video check-in on NICU infants from the hallway nurses’ station, a security man- ager responds to a “door opened” alarm in the pharmaceutical area, or a security officer gets additional information for situational aware- ness when there’s a disturbance in the emergency room.
REMOTE ACCESS IN HEALTHCARE
Remotely accessing video is routine in healthcare. And increas- ingly, healthcare security and IT departments are opting for cloud video surveillance to help them keep eyes on their people, operations and property.
While premises-based video surveillance and access control have long played a key role in safeguarding facilities, the healthcare C-Suite is starting to recognize the benefits of cloud; cloud video surveillance extends those basic capabilities of premises-based to provide data to improve operations, reduce maintenance, and it help the organization run securely and smoothly. VSaaS (video sur- veillance as a service) is becoming the preferred delivery method for security and surveillance technology. Cloud doesn’t have the limita- tions of the older technology and it’s much more cost effective.
Healthcare organizations of all kinds, from large hospitals to multisite clinics to senior care facilities, are looking for many of the same benefits. Of course, patient or resident care and safety come first. But there also is loss prevention, physical safety pro- motion and equipment performance monitoring. Thankfully, cloud video surveillance has brought with it video and data re- tention solutions that are both smart and sustainable.
The strict compliance and safety requirements for employees and patients, along with on-premises items, such as controlled substances, patient records, and expensive equipment, present numerous challenges for healthcare facility operators and their security teams.
Experts in the cloud video surveillance market, such as Eagle Eye Networks, understand the unique and dynamic issues facing healthcare facility leaders, and have designed cloud-based video management systems that provide a robust suite of offerings to meet healthcare facilities’ needs without having to worry about bandwidth and video data retention.
From safety to service and more, here are a few ways opera- tors in the healthcare space are leveraging their VSaaS systems to enhance security and monitoring capabilities.
REMOTE ACCESS VIA MOBILE DEVICE OR LAPTOP
Healthcare facilities face many challenges when it comes to en- suring patient safety, protecting restricted areas, and ensuring liability protection. Facilities can use laptops, as well as mobile devices (generally both iOS and Android), to remotely access cameras for easier monitoring of high-risk patients, secure areas, and transient movement.
The nurses’ station is often the central hub of a hospital floor. Due to rising patient-to-nurse ratios in healthcare facilities across
the country, nurses are often tasked with monitoring care for mul- tiple patients simultaneously.
According to a Marshall University study, high patient-to- nurse ratios were associated with an increase in hospital mortali- ties that could be caused by patient infections, bedsores, pneumo- nia, cardiac arrest, and accidental death. Alarm fatigue is also a growing concern with high-risk patients. Ensuring patient safety is a top priority for healthcare facilities and deploying video sur- veillance technology can provide additional support for facilities that are short-staffed. When a nurse is caring for multiple patients at a time, he or she needs eyes and ears in every room to ensure safety and to act quickly. Nurses and the patients they treat are benefiting significantly from monitoring stations that provide vis- ibility into several patients’ rooms at once.
IT SUPPORT TAKEN CARE OF BY CLOUD PROVIDER
While traditional video management systems require regular up- dates and improvements, with a cloud video surveillance system, management of the system is done remotely by the cloud pro- vider. The healthcare facility pays a monthly subscription for the system’s management and regular upgrades, greatly reducing the demand placed on internal IT and security teams.
This means the healthcare facility does not need to hire ad- ditional IT specialists saving money that can be spent on patient care. There is continuous delivery of cybersecurity safeguards, and additional features to the system via the cloud.
Importantly, the healthcare organization can add or reduce the number of cameras, adjust retention times, and make other changes at any time. The system is flexible and can scale up or down according to the needs of the healthcare facility.
ACCESS TO RECORDED VIDEO
AND LIABILITY IMPLICATIONS
Security implications present challenges for healthcare facili- ties, as well. Larger facilities need to properly monitor expansive physical spaces, as well as numerous restricted areas, including newborn intensive care units (NICUs), operating rooms, and pharmaceutical storage areas.
Additionally, supplies and materials are better managed and
54
JULY/AUGUST 2021 | SECURITY TODAY
REMOTE ACCESS
Andrey Suslov/Shutterstock.com