What Is Hospital Access Control, and Why Is it Important?

Running a hospital or healthcare facility comes with many concerns, and security is likely to be one of them. Controlling the flow of people in and out of a medical facility can help make the building more secure, safeguard patients and staff, keep the company’s reputation positive, preserve assets, and protect the company from liability.

There are several different ways to secure a hospital, and examining the different security options is important to determine which is the right choice for a healthcare company. Access control is one of the most important security measures a healthcare facility can take. But what is access control? Why is it so important to the healthcare industry?

 

Access Control: Defined

Many people come and go at hospitals, which is why maintaining control over the means of ingress/egress is so important from a security standpoint. Systems that control the flow of people into and around your facility are known as access control. Various types of access control exist, such as fences around your property, locks on doors, and electronic access control. Take a look at some well-known examples of access control systems.

 

Types of Physical Access Control

• Fences, gates, barriers, railings, barricades
• Door locks, window locks
• Parking garage barriers
• Badge access/card swipe access
• Security guards, nurse stations, checkpoints

There is no right or wrong type of access control, and many hospitals use multiple layers of access control security. For instance, they may employ security guards, have nursing stations at access points throughout the facility, and have an electronic access control system that uses cards and readers.

 

Electronic Access Control

Access control encompasses a wide range of security features you can implement at your healthcare facility, but electronic access control is more specific. This type of access control uses technology to better protect your facility, patients, staff, and assets.

Access control goes several steps beyond simply controlling the flow of people in and out of your building—it can also document the movement of people, track breaches, and report trends. Tracking can be extremely valuable to your business’s security, growth, and overall operations.

Valuable information can be gained from tracking access from employees and visitors throughout your facility. Electronic access control is also more efficient than a locked door, physical barricade, or human guard because these security features can easily be manipulated.

Electronic access control can help protect your business from unauthorized access, including protecting portions of your hospital specifically, such as a maternity ward. Because healthcare facilities house vulnerable patients, expensive equipment, and many workers, it’s important to install a security system that can protect them all.

Access can be deactivated if a card is lost or stolen, and electronic access control can be integrated with other security software, such as video surveillance equipment, nurse call stations, and communications systems. For these reasons, healthcare industry leaders should consider installing electronic access control at their facilities.

 

The Advantages of Electronic Access Control

Electronic access control systems like the one manufactured by Accutech Healthcare Security Solutions have many benefits.

 

Protect Patients

Access control protects patients, especially vulnerable patients like infants in maternity wards or children in pediatric centers.

 

Protect Employees

Employees deserve to have a safe place to work, so they can focus on their job duties, not worry about their safety. Access control systems protect employees from unauthorized entry by potentially dangerous people. They also can alert authorities to a security breach using panic or duress buttons.

 

Protect Business Assets

Just like a security vault protects the gold or money inside, access control secures your healthcare facility’s valuables. Replacing damaged or stolen medical equipment can be extremely expensive. Asset tracking combined with access control can protect your hospital investments.

 

Add Value to Your Business

Adding security measures to your hospital adds value to your brand and increases your worth as a company. Taking security measures to ensure the safety of your employees, visitors, and patients makes your hospital one that people feel they can trust.

 

Secure Restricted Areas

In addition to securing building access, Accutech’s access control solution can secure entry points to certain areas of your hospital.

For instance, you can secure access to the pediatric ward or maternity ward. With Accutech Access, you can also combine access control with our Cuddles infant protection system, which defends against infant abductions in hospitals, or with our Kidz pediatric elopement system, which helps to prevent children from wandering out of a secured area of a hospital.

 

Track Visitor and Employee Access

Access to buildings or restricted areas can be tracked through reporting and monitoring systems, which can be useful for other reporting purposes.

For example, tracking could help you identify building access points that most people use so you can focus security efforts there. Tracking can tell you about employee, visitor, or patient behavior or access schedules, so you can better respond to people’s needs or security requirements. Tracking can help document unauthorized access, helping authorities catch bad guys.

In addition to the benefits described above, access control gives business owners peace of mind. Keeping employees safe and protecting patients and visitors helps owners and directors feel they are doing everything possible to ensure business growth and success. Access control also deters criminal activity, which means less hassle and complications for healthcare business owners and facility directors.

 

Should I Install Access Control at My Healthcare Facility?

Chances are, you already have some measure of access control at your hospital facility, such as door locks, barricades, or security guards. Installing electronic access control such as Accutech Access can give you that extra layer of security to keep your healthcare facility safe and secure.

Our access control system integrates with nurse call systems and other security features, such as closed-circuit television (CCTV) systems. Going the extra mile to protect your healthcare facility can provide you with the security a hospital needs to thrive.