Electronic Access Control: Strategic Solutions for Healthcare

Healthcare facilities represent a dynamic and dense door environment. With a constant influx of visitors, patients, staff, and contractors in what’s often a 24/7 operation, healthcare end-users need effective methods to control and segregate access throughout the facility while delivering a stellar experience that fosters wellness.

The U.S. healthcare industry is massive, with spending accounting for over 19.7% of the GDP in 2020; studies predict it will reach close to $2 billion by 2027. Hospitals and healthcare facilities require physical security deployments specific to the premises - solutions that are secure, convenient, durable and flexible in application.

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Electronic access control (or, EAC) offers tailored protection and the ability for healthcare facilities to build levels of security, while effectively segmenting the user’s authorization for access to specific doors, interiors or high-risk areas.

Why EAC products are important

EAC plays an important role in any healthcare facility for physical space/room access control, with products available to meet a wide range of footprints and specifications. Some examples include:

• Storage rooms may deploy simple offline keypad locks, while data centers or pharmaceutical doors and patient record rooms utilize online WiFi and wireless locks for real-time accountability and a higher level of security.
• Mother and infant suites or obstetrics may opt for card access or mobile access control to manage these sensitive areas.
• Electronic healthcare information and patient data (HIPPA, Protected Health Information) can be protected with keypads or integrated wired or wireless locking solutions.
• In behavioral health applications, EAC products help protect patients from harm and maintain security for others, including professional and clinical staff.
• Specialty hardware addresses common facility doorway challenges. Push/pull trim lends convenience to doorways while anti-harm trim designed for life safety eliminates catch points.
• Contactless automatic doors provide safe, hands-free access to public entrances, emergency rooms, patient areas, intensive care units and isolated environments. Automatic swing doors provide yet another touchless entrance system that keeps areas germ-free.

A primary consideration in specifying EAC in healthcare is the sheer number of entry points and a fluid, ever-changing population. Couple that with an emergency room that’s potentially a hot-bed of activity, with high-risk threats and the challenges in controlling access become significant.

Less administration, lower costs

Managing physical access with keys alone quickly becomes unwieldy in the healthcare environment. Issuing, managing, duplicating, and rekeying in the event of lost keys is costly and labor intensive as well as time-consuming for administrators. While keys offer the ability for a mechanical override of door locks when necessary, in many use cases these products are being offset in favor of the convenience and manageability of EAC.

EAC effectively lowers costs of security administration, as cards can be enrolled, activated, deactivated and managed online. Security clearances can be addressed by programming access only to authorized staff – with history, recordkeeping and audit trails of all access control transactions. In the event of a security alert or breach, EAC allows credentials to be taken offline immediately to minimize the potential for active in-house threats.

Multiple agencies, including doctors, municipalities, or county or state entities may be allowed access to different areas at specific days or times – with credentials valid only during these intervals. Compartmentalization – a technique used to specify different types of departmental-level system access – can also be utilized to restrict entrance to specific rooms or areas, for example pharmaceutical dispensaries or testing laboratories.

Power over Ethernet and Wifi makes retrofit a breeze

Usually, at hospitals hoping to upgrade their access control systems, running cable for hardwired products presents a challenge, as wall and storage space for wiring is limited. That’s why solutions like wifi-enabled keypads and locks—which are wireless—and Power over Ethernet (PoE) locksets enable hospitals to successfully expand the footprint without extensive wiring. Though PoE hardware still requires wiring, these devices don’t take up as much space in the equipment closets compared to traditional access control hardware that takes up closet wall space with power supplies, controllers, and more bulky equipment.

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Wifi and PoE-enabled access control devices allow facilities to leverage their current network. These devices support multiple credential types, including mobile devices, using the existing infrastructure for delivery of both power and data.
Flexibility in product deployments

Integrated wired access control solutions, available in cylindrical, mortise and exit device configurations with or without keypad readers, fit well in mixed-credential healthcare environments and enable easy migration to higher security credentials and mobile access. With Open Supervised Device Protocol (OSDP) communication, these solutions continuously monitor end-to-end wiring, protecting against tampering and “man in the middle” attacks.

WiFi access control locks enhance connectivity by using the latest technologies for communication. These door products make it simple and affordable to expand the access control system at different locations and doors.

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Users can also create a touchless environment with EAC and latch-retraction devices. Hands-free solutions with push/pull trim keep hospital personnel moving through openings quickly and hygienically. Special coatings, like MicroShield® antimicrobial, prevent the spread of bacteria and other microbes on high-traffic door pulls, levers, and exit devices. Special trims that combine with access control – paddle-designed closures - can be combined with these antimicrobial coatings for additional reduced germ transmission.

EcoFlex® electrified mortise locks and exit trim, exclusive to ASSA ABLOY, yield a range of operating voltages and low current draw that add flexibility to system design and reduce the number of power supplies required. In addition, quick connectors make the installation process easier and prevent downtime from installation or servicing, with less disruption to the healthcare user during maintenance.

Healthcare door hardware

When it comes to healthcare, electronic access control products can offer convenient, durable security to your facilities. If you’re interested in learning which configuration of electronic door hardware best meets the unique needs of your facility, fill out the form below to get in touch with our team today.