Keeping patients, staff, and visitors safe is a very complex task. There, of course, is no one-size-fits-all approach to healthcare security. Each use case poses a unique set of challenges, be it medication monitoring, visitor management, or emergency response.

This complexity has resulted in AI fast becoming a vital component of video surveillance technology. Smart devices are now able to understand scenes and behaviors like never before, providing valuable and actionable data, alerts, and responses that can result in saved lives.

According to Kjin, healthcare providers are taking note, increasingly leveraging advanced technology and video surveillance systems to bolster their broader physical security strategy in the following ways.

Facial recognition

Healthcare facilities experience high census regularly. It makes knowing who is on, and meant to be on, the premises extremely difficult. AI-driven facial recognition provides several useful advantages here, from spotting and alerting to persons of interest on your site, through to powerful biometric access controls for staff, and targeted evidence searching.

Visible weapon detection

Gun violence is a very real threat for healthcare facilities. Identifying a person(s) carrying a weapon is both a formidable and extremely sensitive task, requiring validation, precise escalation procedures, and rapid response. The use of more traditional solutions such as metal detectors is a very accurate means of weapon screening. They work well when someone enters the building through typical ingress points. Layering on visible weapon detection AI models provides a much-needed force multiplier to your security posture by providing visual validation and evidence, both inside and outside of the facility. This emerging technology still needs to consider the basic needs of people, processes and technical limitations to complement the overall solution.

Acoustic monitoring and alerts

Advances in AI have led to the development of highly accurate sound detection analytics. These solutions add an extra dimension to active incident management by catching audible indicators of imminent or present threats. They can pick up on things like breakages, aggressive behaviour, and screaming and shouting. And when combined with video analytics they provide even greater accuracy. These same systems can also be used to enhance patient care, monitoring and alerting nurses to symptoms such as coughing, wheezing, or even cries for assistance.

Loitering detection

People wait at healthcare facilities for all kinds of reasons. Many will simply be visiting; some may need urgent assistance; others may have criminal intentions. Staff and security must be able to distinguish between casual waiting and loitering with intent in order to respond appropriately and in good time. AI powered loitering detection tracks people and triggers an event, such as lighting, sounds, or staff notifications, if they’ve been in an area for too long.

Fall prevention

Keeping track of patients, visitors and staff whereabouts is a perennial challenge. Falls are among a hospital’s highest risk factors for injury. It is therefore vital that nursing staff are aware of when a patient leaves their bed or even attempts to, has been out of bed for longer than expected, or indeed has fallen, to allow a timely and appropriate response. An AI-powered patient out of bed, fall and elopement solution will notify staff when any of these instances occur.

Video surveillance systems not only help with security. AI-powered solutions can and are supporting healthcare facilities across the world with care delivery, workflow optimisation, and visitor management. It is important to engage an experienced technology partner to obtain the right results and the right systems, they can tailor and design a solution that multiplies the efforts to reach the highest standards in quality care, safe and secure facilities, and efficient services.