Excluding the pandemic years, visiting policies at healthcare facilities have become more lenient over the past two decades. A study sponsored by the International Association for Healthcare Security and Safety (IAHSS) found that “open” or “unrestricted” visitation is associated with higher patient and family satisfaction with care, improved outcomes, better communication with healthcare providers, and reduced anxiety over treatment.
With visitors coming and going 24/7, all of whom must — for now — be screened for COVID-19 symptoms each time they enter, the need for effective and efficient visitor management strategies has never been greater. Administrators must balance policies that ensure unauthorized and unhealthy people cannot enter secure areas, including patient wards, with procedures that create a welcoming visitor experience.