In this featured piece by Security Info Watch, Terry Swanson, president and CEO of Singlewire Software, explains how incident management software can help healthcare organizations build a more secure environment for patients and staff. He outlines the importance of proactively planning for potential threats by gathering input from multiple departments, then details how tools like panic buttons, wearable devices, National Weather Service feeds, environmental sensors, and AI video surveillance can help detect issues early. Swanson describes how targeted, multi-channel notifications, delivered across desk phones, computers, digital signage, and mobile devices, ensure the right people receive actionable alerts immediately. He also explains how incident management software supports organizations from the initial alert through final resolution, including pre-built follow-up messages and tools to help staff resume normal operations quickly.
Key Takeaways
- Terry Swanson, president and CEO of Singlewire Software, writes that healthcare organizations should gather input from multiple departments to build a comprehensive list of potential threats before building incident response workflows.
- Detection tools such as panic buttons, wearable devices, National Weather Service feeds, environmental sensors, and AI video surveillance can help healthcare organizations identify threats earlier and intervene quickly.
- Incident management systems that support targeted messaging by group or zone help ensure alerts reach only the relevant staff, such as security personnel or administrators, without unnecessarily alerting other areas like visitor lobbies.
- Multi-channel alerting across desk phones, computers, digital signage, IP speakers, paging systems, and mobile devices helps ensure notifications are impossible to ignore.
- Pre-built messages for each stage of an incident, from initial alert to final “all clear,” help healthcare organizations reduce confusion, speed up response, and return to normal patient care more quickly.
Original Story
For any healthcare organization, delivering excellent patient care is a top priority, but creating a secure facility is an often overlooked aspect of achieving that goal. Being able to plan for potential incidents, notify the right people, and actively manage events lets hospital staff know that their safety and their patients’ safety are being prioritized so they can focus their efforts on delivering excellent care. However, if healthcare organizations do not have the right tools in place, it can be difficult to respond effectively when an emergency occurs. Incident management software can be a powerful solution when appropriately deployed as healthcare organizations look to combat multiple threats that may disrupt operations. Here are some ways healthcare organizations can achieve holistic security at their facilities with incident management software.