Even amid a global health crisis, hospitals can increase the security of their hospital visitor management system in three simple ways.
In a matter of weeks, hospitals across the globe have been stretched to the brink by the COVID-19 crisis. As they work to limit the virus’s exposure to patients and staff, identifying and monitoring who is on-premises become even more vital to collective health and safety.
In addition, effective visitor tracking and reporting can help healthcare officials anticipate virus spread and mitigate further exposure.
Here are three simple ways for hospitals to boost their visitor management protocol during the COVID-19 crisis:
1. Scan Visitor IDs at Registration
With an influx of patients and visitors checking into hospitals daily, reducing check-in times helps healthcare administrators get people where they need to be. In turn, this reduces crowding in reception and waiting areas, minimizing the risk of infection. Simply scanning a visitor’s driver’s license or other government-issued ID can reduce visitor check-in time to a matter of seconds. At the same time, administrators can officially verify visitor identity.
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Some visitor management software is fully automated. Once a visitor’s ID is scanned the system automatically renders an ID, prints the badge, and registers visitor information into a database. This can all be done in under 20 seconds. Using an ID scanner facilitates the rapid input of visitor information without typing a single word. This reduces errors and ensures consistency, all while speeding up the check-in process.
2. Implement Expiring ID Badges
Having real-time visitor information is necessary for hospitals, especially during a global health crisis. It can be a challenge to reduce visitor badge reuse and make certain each visitor is checking in daily. Implementing expiring visitor badges is a simple solution. Expiring badges use patented migrating ink technology to show a series of red lines or other expiration indicators after a preset time frame, indicating that the badge is no longer valid. This helps increase security by preventing reuse.
3. Capturing Visitor Images
Create an added level of security your health center needs by capturing visitor images. Staff will never have to guess whether or not a hospital visit is officially registered to be on-premises. Once an image is captured it is stored in a visitor database, printed on ID badges, and added to a watchlist if necessary. Images can also be cross-referenced with video surveillance footage.
Acquiring a visitor’s digital photo can be done with an external camera or by scanning the image from an ID card.
