Related Experiment Videos
ED security: a national telephone survey
G L Ellis1, D A Dehart, C Black
1Department of Emergency Medicine, Guthrie Clinic/Robert Packer Hospital, Sayre, PA 18840.
The American Journal of Emergency Medicine
|March 1, 1994
Summary
Hospitals vary in emergency department (ED) security measures, with larger, urban facilities employing more on-site personnel and advanced surveillance. Smaller, rural EDs often lock doors during off-hours for enhanced safety.
Area of Science:
- Healthcare Administration
- Public Health
- Emergency Medicine
Background:
- Emergency departments (EDs) face unique security challenges due to high patient volumes and diverse patient populations.
- Understanding current security practices is crucial for developing effective safety protocols in ED settings.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the current landscape of security measures implemented in hospital emergency departments across the United States.
- To identify trends in security staffing, equipment, and protocols based on hospital characteristics.
Main Methods:
- A telephone survey was conducted with a random sample of 250 hospitals with emergency departments.
- Data collected included details on security personnel, staffing hours, armament, door locking policies, and the use of specific security technologies (e.g., alarm buttons, surveillance, metal detectors).
- Information was stratified by hospital size, ED census, location (rural/suburban/urban), teaching status, and region.
Main Results:
- On-site security presence generally correlates positively with hospital size, ED census, urban location, and teaching status.
- Smaller, rural hospitals are more inclined to lock ED doors during off-hours.
- Larger, urban teaching hospitals are more likely to utilize secure/detention rooms and closed-circuit surveillance; alarm buttons and direct phone lines are also more prevalent in these settings.
Conclusions:
- Security measures in emergency departments are not uniform and vary significantly based on hospital demographics and location.
- Larger, urban teaching hospitals tend to implement more comprehensive security strategies, including advanced surveillance and specialized rooms.
- Further research may be needed to optimize security protocols for diverse ED environments, particularly for smaller, rural facilities.