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Video Surveillance in Hospitals

Topic: Hospital Surveillance

Hospitals are a vital part of society. Providing medical care for the sick and injured, it is important not only for hospital owners but all patients that hospital security be kept tight. A properly instituted video surveillance system can be useful in many ways for hospitals and health care facilities.

Video Surveillance Benefits for Hospitals

There are many benefits to using a video surveillance system in a hospital. Security is of course a top priority. Break-ins, crimes, thefts and more can all be kept at a minimum through the use of security cameras, allowing hospital security personnel to keep tabs on key areas of the hospital at all times.

Video surveillance records can also be used to monitor activity within the hospital by both employees and patients. Should patients report injuries being received while at the hospital, video surveillance records can be used to prove or disprove such claims. Disputes between employees can also be resolved through video records that provide a clear display of what actually occurred. Video surveillance can also be used for transferring information between departments, increasing communication and overall productivity.

Potential Problems with Hospital Video Surveillance

Although beneficial in many ways, there can also be some problems with video surveillance. One common problem is that hospitals rely too much on video surveillance alone, and do not provide an adequate physical security force on the premises to deal with security issues. Should a camera be tampered with or experience mechanical failure it can cause many problems, especially if you are over-relying on your cameras for security purposes.

Another concern for video surveillance in hospitals is patient privacy. After all, many people come to hospitals while they are at their most vulnerable, and appreciate that a certain degree of privacy be given to them. Security needs should always be weighed with privacy needs when installing video surveillance systems.

CCTV versus IP Camera Video Surveillance

When installing a video surveillance system, the type of cameras used can make a big difference. There are two primary categories of cameras used in video surveillance: CCTV and IP network cameras. CCTV cameras are traditional video cameras which take analog video that is transmitted via coaxial cable. IP cameras take digital video and transmit data over local and internet networks.

IP network cameras offer many benefits over CCTV systems, especially in a hospital setting. For example, feeds can be easily transmitted to numerous places at once, for increased remote monitoring. The digital feed also allows for a variety of advanced features not available in analog cameras, such as built-in video motion detection, facial recognition and much more.

Placement of Security Cameras in Hospitals

The key to any video surveillance system lies not only in the quality of the cameras used but in their placement as well. The greatest cameras in the world will be of little use if they are not placed appropriately. Here are some tips and guidelines for proper camera placement.

Entrances and exits should all be covered. At a minimum, this provides you with an accurate video record of everyone entering and leaving the facility. Emergency exits, fire escapes and the like should also be similarly monitored. All public areas should be monitored efficiently, including hallways and elevators. Entrances to restricted areas should also be covered, to ensure that only authorized personnel are gaining admittance into these areas.

Cameras should also be placed on the outside. Parking lots and loading areas can sometimes be overlooked but are important areas to consider for camera placement. Entrances and exits to the main facility should be covered from both the inside and the outside, so you get a full view of everything going on in these important areas.