Tablet Theft-5 WC Blog 514
i-Pad Theft-3
Bug Tag-4
Take A Balanced Approach To Prevent Medical Tablet Theft
Computer tablet theft and iPad theft in hospitals are an increasing threat as the use of personal hand-held computers grows more prevalent in the medical field. There are new applications for computer tablets to improve the care of patients on a regular basis. I recently came across a new use for computer tablets that aids in the prevention of fall accidents in hospitals. This new technology involves special socks with sensors in them that monitor the movements of a patient. In a story from Cincinnati.com, Dec. 8, 2017 by Anne Saker, titled “How can we prevent falls? Hospitals could find an answer in Cinc-designed ‘smart’ socks”, Ms. Saker reports on a patient in a Madison County hospital. The patient was wearing a pair of Palarum socks, “made by the renowned French textile company Perrin” designed to help prevent patient falls before they can happen. The socks have sensors in them that can send a signal to a nurse monitoring the patient who is wearing the socks. “Using a Palarum tablet computer in a patient room or at a main desk, a nurse tells the monitor about the patient, including weight…When the socks detect downward pressure past a certain threshold, the filaments in the fabric signal the monitor on the sock. The wireless alarm goes out to the three nurses closest to the patient.” https://www.cincinnati.com/story/news/2017/12/08/how-can-we-prevent-falls-hospitals-find-answer-cincinnati-designed-smart-socks/904983001/
Sensor socks and a computer tablet that can save patients from potential falls, that is incredible! I hope you noticed as I did when reading the article, the nurse tells the monitor about the patient. That means private patient data is in these computers and therein lies to risks associated with mobile device theft and i-Pad theft in hospitals. Bill Bregar, the CEO of Loss Prevention Systems Inc. (LPSI) recognizes the dangers associated with computer theft from medical facilities of all types and has an answer for them with the Bug Tag.
A simple design, the Bug Tag is a small device that uses electronic article surveillance (EAS) technology to prevent theft. The tag is attached directly to the back of a mobile computing device with an adhesive sled. The facility has EAS pedestals installed at all entrances and exits (and even outside of restrooms if so desired) and in the event of an attempted tablet theft the Bug Tag sends out a signal that sets off alarms in the pedestals before the perpetrator even gets to the door to walk out. The lights and alarms of the pedestals alert employees who respond and recover the tablet or i-Pad. Concerned that a criminal could just remove a tag from a unit and still commit i-Pad theft? No need to worry, the tags have tamper alarms built in that will sound their own warning if a criminal tried to pull one off of a device. The wonderful part about the use of these anti-theft devices is that they allow for total freedom of movement within a facility for care providers they just keep the devices from being taken out.
There a readers who may be scoffing at the idea that a tablet theft is really all that big a deal. Most hospitals and clinics are going to encrypt their devices, right? Besides, we are talking about socks here, how much information can a criminal get other than a patient’s shoe size? There are several things readers should consider. First, we are only addressing one use of mobile devices in the medical field here. The proliferation of handheld computers is enormous in medicine. They are being used by doctors to video conference to remote locals to aid in treatment of patients. They are being used by doctors and nurses to check on patients rather than carrying the old charts around. It wasn’t long ago I was in a hospital emergency room and the doctors were doing rounds with interns carrying i-Pads or tablets and discussing patient statuses. I have signed into a waiting room at a care clinic on an i-Pad rather than registering with the old forms. All of that patient information becomes available to criminals when a tablet theft or i-pad theft takes place. If encryption were a cure all then I would ask the skeptics, why does DHHS levy severe fines on medical facilities that have mobile and computer devices stolen? Would it be necessary to penalize if there were no risk of patient data loss?
Whether it is protecting a patient using special balance socks and a computing device or any other medical computer using a Bug Tag is a step in the right direction. Let LPSI help you get started in preventing tablet theft with EAS pedestals and tags.
Get more information on a Bug Tag, contact us or call 1.770.426.0547 today.
Computer tablet theft and iPad theft in hospitals are an increasing threat as the use of personal hand-held computers grows more prevalent in the medical field. There are new applications for computer tablets to improve the care of patients on a regular basis. I recently came across a new use for computer tablets that aids in the prevention of fall accidents in hospitals. This new technology involves special socks with sensors in them that monitor the movements of a patient. In a story from Cincinnati.com, Dec. 8, 2017 by Anne Saker, titled “How can we prevent falls? Hospitals could find an answer in Cinc-designed ‘smart’ socks”, Ms. Saker reports on a patient in a Madison County hospital. The patient was wearing a pair of Palarum socks, “made by the renowned French textile company Perrin” designed to help prevent patient falls before they can happen. The socks have sensors in them that can send a signal to a nurse monitoring the patient who is wearing the socks. “Using a Palarum tablet computer in a patient room or at a main desk, a nurse tells the monitor about the patient, including weight…When the socks detect downward pressure past a certain threshold, the filaments in the fabric signal the monitor on the sock. The wireless alarm goes out to the three nurses closest to the patient.” https://www.cincinnati.com/story/news/2017/12/08/how-can-we-prevent-falls-hospitals-find-answer-cincinnati-designed-smart-socks/904983001/Sensor socks and a computer tablet that can save patients from potential falls, that is incredible! I hope you noticed as I did when reading the article, the nurse tells the monitor about the patient. That means private patient data is in these computers and therein lies to risks associated with mobile device theft and i-Pad theft in hospitals. Bill Bregar, the CEO of Loss Prevention Systems Inc. (LPSI) recognizes the dangers associated with computer theft from medical facilities of all types and has an answer for them with the Bug Tag.
A simple design, the Bug Tag is a small device that uses electronic article surveillance (EAS) technology to prevent theft. The tag is attached directly to the back of a mobile computing device with an adhesive sled. The facility has EAS pedestals installed at all entrances and exits (and even outside of restrooms if so desired) and in the event of an attempted tablet theft the Bug Tag sends out a signal that sets off alarms in the pedestals before the perpetrator even gets to the door to walk out. The lights and alarms of the pedestals alert employees who respond and recover the tablet or i-Pad. Concerned that a criminal could just remove a tag from a unit and still commit i-Pad theft? No need to worry, the tags have tamper alarms built in that will sound their own warning if a criminal tried to pull one off of a device. The wonderful part about the use of these anti-theft devices is that they allow for total freedom of movement within a facility for care providers they just keep the devices from being taken out.
There a readers who may be scoffing at the idea that a tablet theft is really all that big a deal. Most hospitals and clinics are going to encrypt their devices, right? Besides, we are talking about socks here, how much information can a criminal get other than a patient’s shoe size? There are several things readers should consider. First, we are only addressing one use of mobile devices in the medical field here. The proliferation of handheld computers is enormous in medicine. They are being used by doctors to video conference to remote locals to aid in treatment of patients. They are being used by doctors and nurses to check on patients rather than carrying the old charts around. It wasn’t long ago I was in a hospital emergency room and the doctors were doing rounds with interns carrying i-Pads or tablets and discussing patient statuses. I have signed into a waiting room at a care clinic on an i-Pad rather than registering with the old forms. All of that patient information becomes available to criminals when a tablet theft or i-pad theft takes place. If encryption were a cure all then I would ask the skeptics, why does DHHS levy severe fines on medical facilities that have mobile and computer devices stolen? Would it be necessary to penalize if there were no risk of patient data loss?
Whether it is protecting a patient using special balance socks and a computing device or any other medical computer using a Bug Tag is a step in the right direction. Let LPSI help you get started in preventing tablet theft with EAS pedestals and tags.
Get more information on a Bug Tag, contact us or call 1.770.426.0547 today.
