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Hospital staff continue to experience an increased level of violence, verbal abuse, and stress in a post pandemic world. In fact, 81.6% of nurses have experienced some form of violence within the last year.
Healthcare workers are not the only ones who experience some form of workplace violence, and we are now witnessing hospitals adopt technology leveraged by law enforcement and retail to help keep their workers safe. Given the success of body-worn cameras (BWCs) in public safety, it is unsurprising that they have been considered as solution to healthcare safety challenges.
In order to gain more insight, the IAHSS Foundation conducted a study measuring the impact of body-worn cameras in hospital settings. You can read the study in-depth, but let’s take a look at some of the key findings from hospitals who have deployed BWCs.
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Body-worn cameras prove to be a critical de-escalation tool
BWCs have helped improve customer service, and they also help staff more easily de-escalate difficult or dangerous situations.
This supports findings in other studies, and illustrates how people tend to behave better when they are aware they are being recorded. This holds true for those on both sides of the interaction.
Body-worn camera footage is useful for training purposes
We asked participants who actively use BWCs in their hospital about the BWC’s ability to assist in training. Of the 53 hospital security staff using BWCs, 19 commented about how they are an effective training tool and allowed staff “to critique themselves to perform better in the future.” One response indicated that “BWCs have been the greatest training tool they have implemented.”
For instance, supervisors have said the footage has helped them determine what works, and what doesn’t, when it comes to physically responding to an aggressive or violent person. This information has helped direct their training and best practices.
Body-worn camera footage is helpful from a legal perspective
Much like we’ve seen in the public safety space, body-worn camera footage is one of the best tools hospitals have for eliminating ambiguity during the investigation process. Respondents indicated that it was important in obtaining accurate information, others mentioned how BWCs provide a layer of protection from litigation.
Interestingly, both hospitals who actively use body-worn cameras and the control group (hospitals without BWCs) in the study shared this reason as an argument for having them.
Hospitals who use BWCs have seen firsthand the power of maintaining video evidence during litigations. They noted that lawsuits have been dropped because of the body-worn footage, saving their organization significant time and resources from legal battles or lost lawsuits.
These respondents indicated “over 78% of them have used BWC footage to settle disputes in the hospital and 29% have used BWC footage in court.”
Body-worn cameras are empowering hospital staff
Last but not least, we found that hospital/security staff view body-worn cameras as an empowering tool when it comes to performing their daily duties, especially when it comes to situations that might require use of force.
Participants leveraging BWCs provided 15 positive comments on the impact they have in this area: some stated that it reduces the use of force incidents, others indicated use of force increased when necessary (this is because BWCs empower staff staff members when use of force is justified).
Respondents who do not currently use BWCs in their hospital still maintained a positive view of BWCs because of how they create transparency and accountability, thereby reducing false accusations against staff.
The impact of body-worn cameras in hospitals: takeaways
96% of hospital security reported high satisfaction with body-worn cameras, citing positive outcomes for security staff, hospital personnel, doctors, nurses, and visitors. The responses show the presence of BWCs significantly enhances safety by promoting professional and respectful behavior, while also supporting staff during incidents in which de-escalation is not possible.
Download the full report for more information about the impact of BWCs in hospital settings.