Page 48 - Security Today, May/June 2025

H O S P I T A L S E C U R I T Y
USING EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES TO ADDRESS
HEALTHCARE STAFFING, WORKPLACE VIOLENCE ISSUES
A U T H O R : M AT T K J I N I S S E G M E N T D E V E L O P M E N T M A N A G E R – H E A L T H C A R E AT A X I S C O M M U N I C AT I O N S .
I M A G E : G R E E N B U T T E R F LY / S T O C K . A D O B E . C O M
T
he healthcare industry consistently adopts new technology
to address challenges across all of its sectors. Many of the
emerging technologies that are available today are being
applied to optimize workflow. To enhance their operational
efficiency, hospitals and other healthcare providers typi-
cally embrace emergent technologies to streamline tasks
in patient care, administration, and, of course, security.
Underlying the need for better operational efficiency is a
troubling reality: hospitals face significant challenges today, includ-
ing a shortage of staff and behavior-related issues that can esca-
late into violence. For instance, healthcare workers are four times
more likely to experience serious workplace violence, according to
the American Hospital Association. A report published last year by
National Nurses United reveals that eight in 10 nurses had experi-
enced at least one type of workplace violence during the prior year.
The healthcare system faced staff shortages well before the
pandemic and they continue to grow. Research from the National
Council of State Boards of Nursing dis-
covered that around 100,000 registered
nurses (RNs) left the workforce during the
COVID-19 pandemic, citing stress, burn-
out or retirement. Even more alarming
is the fact that 800,000 additional RNs
have expressed their intention to leave
the workforce by 2027 for similar reasons.
Understaffing in the healthcare industry has been widely
studied, and technology stands out as a good solution for certain
workflows. Emerging tools seamlessly integrate into the workflows
that make up this human-centered environment. These tools pro-
vide data that enhance efficiency and allow staff to focus more
on patient care, including monitoring high-risk situations to keep
them from escalating. Interestingly, while some industries focus
on gathering business intelligence and gain operational efficien-
cies as a byproduct, that is reversed in the clinical world. Focusing
on operational efficiencies in healthcare often produces business
intelligence data as byproduct, which hospital administrators then
can use to make data-driven decisions.
Almost every healthcare facility in the U.S. uses some form
of video. The applications for it include security and safety, remote
patient monitoring, virtual nursing, administrative tasks, and even
monitoring situations such as occupancy levels and suspected
medication diversion.
There are clear guidelines associated with where and how
healthcare organizations can implement video technology, so that
they meet the requirements of the Health Insurance Portability and
Accountability Act (HIPAA). The American Hospital Association explains
what to consider from a compliance perspective. According to a January
2025 article in The HIPAA Journal, since Protected Health Information
(PHI) cannot be separated from other data recorded by surveillance
cameras, all footage (when recordings are used) must be secured in
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