Security Cameras for Hospitals

When people think of security cameras in businesses, hospitals aren't usually the first thing that comes to mind. Even so, a quality surveillance system placed in strategic spots on hospital grounds can not only serve safety and security purposes, but it can become a cost-effective way to prevent lawsuits, monitor staff and patients, and weed out dishonest medical claims.

Safety and Security - Cameras are used most often to prevent break-ins and deter crimes, which can occur anywhere, even in a hospital. With so many people coming and going, and so much commotion in emergency rooms and at hospital entrances, the wrong person could easily get inside and cause harm to hospital staff and patients. Properly placed cameras can help law enforcement officials identify these criminals in order to make an arrest. Also, when people are sick, they tend to act out of the ordinary. Sometimes patients who have waited for long periods of time or are unhappy with the care and service they are receiving have tendency to become violent. Security cameras can help staff keep an eye on busy waiting rooms and monitor patients and their families' demeanor.

Monitor Your Employees - Even in small hospitals, it's impossible for managers and supervisors to be everywhere at once. There are so many rooms and locations spread over such a large area that many employees often go unsupervised for long periods of times. Not only will security cameras help you keep a close watch on your employees when you suspect they aren't performing up to your standards, employees who suspect they are being watched will most likely work harder and make better decisions. Also, when there is a dispute between employees, a security camera could very well be the key to what actually happened.

Evidence for Preventing Claims and Lawsuits: Let's face it; not everyone is honest. Some people are just out to see who they can sue to make a buck and this sort of behavior is prevalent in the medical world. Thousands of fraudulent health insurance claims are filed each year. Hospital security cameras can be relied on in cases like this, to see how patients were acting when they weren't being watched by staff. In addition, false claims filed about on-site accidents and incidents might be handled by simply reviewing the video of the time the patient claims to have been on hospital grounds.

Real-time Monitoring: If a patient is awaiting care, becomes ill or passes out, and no one is around to see it or better yet, everyone around her is too busy to notice, her life could be at risk. Many security systems allow for real-time monitoring through personal computers. This allows front desk staff to keep an eye on their patients, even when they're busy filling out paperwork.

There are just so many reasons as to why having a proper security camera system in a hospital or health care setting is important. If you manage such a facility, you really can't afford not to have one in place.

Once you do make the decision to protect your hospital, staff and patients, it's important to make sure your cameras are properly placed. Here are a few tips about hospital camera set-up:

• As with any business, you'll want to make sure you have cameras at all entrances to and exits from the building to make sure you see every single person who enters and leaves the building


• Also, place camera in tight spaces that provide easy opportunities for bullies and criminals to corner and attack innocent people such as elevators, utility closets, stairwells and fire escapes.


• Cameras placed in halls and waiting room keep a close watch on your patients and staff and allow you to monitor everything from behavior to how busy your facility is


• You should also consider placing cameras outside your hospital or health care facility such as in parking lots, loading areas, and rest areas.