COVID-19 impacted healthcare security investments

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The COVID-19 pandemic led to healthcare infrastructure shifts, including an increase in security investments. With 19% of healthcare decision-makers placing a greater emphasis on security upgrades, security leaders aimed to protect their healthcare organizations with access control, perimeter security measures and expanded security plans.

The 2022 Allegion Health Care Trends Report identified a number of security upgrades that have been executed or are planned for the next 12 months. These ranged from standardizing door hardware to hiring security consultants and consolidating suppliers.

Instances of contracting facility management firms and installing security automation technology rose in 2021 compared to a previous study in 2016. When it comes to electronic access control, hospitals reported an increase in the technology as well, with 59% of respondents saying the security tool had been adopted in their surgical suites. The report also identified access control adoption in newborn/nursery facilities (47%), equipment rooms (45%) and executive offices and administration spaces (43%).

For more information on healthcare access control adoption, click here.

Madeline Lauver is the Editor in Chief of Security magazine. Lauver joined Security in 2021 as its Assistant Editor, and she covers news affecting enterprise security leaders, including physical security, cybersecurity, leadership and management, risk and resilience and more. Within her role at Security, Lauver focuses on news articles, Web Exclusives, features, and several departments for Security’s monthly digital edition, as well as managing social media and multimedia content. Lauver graduated in 2019 with a BA in English, German and Media Studies from Kalamazoo College.

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