Theft In The Medical Office-It Could Be An Inside Job

I took my husband to a follow up appointment from his surgery recently because I was the primary person changing his dressings and I wanted to make sure I was doing it right.  hen the nurse came in to change them, he asked if I had everything at home I needed to continue for the next couple of weeks. I told him I was running a little low, but I would check at a home health store for the stuff I needed. He walked out of the room for a moment and then came back in with a bag of supplies, including tweezers, bandage scissors, and bandage rolls. He told me to put the bag in my purse and to not tell the doctor he’d given it to me. I did as I was told, but I wondered later if I had done the right thing. Theft from doctor’s offices is actually a pretty common occurrence, mostly just rubber gloves and such, but it can get worse. Money comes up missing from the drawer where they keep patient’s cash payments. An electronic tablet theft or i-pad theft occurs after the office invests in new technologies. In many cases, it’s not just the patients and their families that the staff has to watch now; internal theft can be a major issue in the medical field too.  

Let’s take the i-pad or tablet theft situation. With many doctor’s offices converting to electronic records and more advanced ways to share medical information, these expensive devices are showing up not just in the exam rooms, but in the waiting room as well. Patients use them to check in for their appointments and update their contact information as well. What happens when the patient takes it back to the exam room with them and suddenly it has disappeared? Obviously, everyone will point the finger at the patient themselves or a member of their family that came with them when the tablet theft is discovered. But what if they did give the tablet back as they will surely claim?  What if the nurse or assistant simply hid the tablet until they can retrieve it to take home at the end of the day? The patient will be blamed and possibly banned from the practice and no one is the wiser.  

We can’t control others motives for stealing, and it’s always harder to deal with when the case is internal. It can happen with a long term employee just as easily as with a new hire. The employee may be under extreme financial pressure, or have a gambling problem. They may have an addiction for luxury spending. They may rationalize an i-pad theft to help themselves since the doctor makes so much money and can afford a new one. Or, just like above, they could see an opportunity and decide to act on it. While you can’t control what motivates people to steal, you can control your surroundings and protect your assets with some new offerings by Checkpoint Systems.    

Designed for small spaces and professional settings, the Checkpoint N10, combined with the Thunder Tag, is the way to protect those valuable electronics from external as well as internal theft. The Checkpoint N10 has the same capabilities as its counterparts used in department stores to monitor inventory. But it is smaller and sleeker and will not detract from the setting or atmosphere of a doctor’s office.The Thunder Tag is actually a device that is adhered to the tablet theft or i-pad and it is the catalyst that will alert staff via the Checkpoint N10 if a theft attempt occurs. If a patient or employee tampers with the Thunder Tag or tries to remove it, it will self-alarm as well. A doctor’s office can fail and go under financially just as easily as a retail establishment. The bills have to be paid and the office equipment that is bought must be maintained and accounted for. 

Want more information on the Checkpoint N10 System now?  Give us a call: 1.770.426.0547