Balancing Security and Privacy in Healthcare: Best Practices for 2025

Healthcare security isn’t just about locks and alarms. It's about balancing life-saving care with life-threatening risks. With healthcare workers facing increasing violence and cyber threats in 2025, how do you protect both patient care and patient privacy?

In this article, we’ll cover the current landscape in healthcare, physical security strategies, and the important role of trauma-informed care as part of your approach.

Current Security Challenges in Healthcare Settings

In a survey by the American College of Emergency Physicians, 55% of ER doctors reported they had been physically assaulted in the workplace, almost always by patients. 44% of nurses reported an increase in physical violence. In recent years, safety concerns have escalated. In fact, healthcare workers are five times more likely to see workplace violence than workers in other industries.

How big a deal is this? Healthcare incidents account for 73% of all nonfatal workplace injuries and illnesses due to violence.

There appears to be no let-up in 2025. Healthcare facility managers, hospital security directors, CIOs, and risk management professionals have to walk a tightrope these days. Ensuring the protection of patients, staff, visitors and data without compromising patient care is a complex balancing act.

Physical Security Strategies

Modern healthcare security requires a sophisticated, layered approach to access control. This starts with robust perimeter security, including strategic placement of barriers, lighting, and surveillance systems. Progressive access restrictions should increase as patients and visitors move further into the facility, with the most sensitive areas requiring multiple authentication factors.

Visitor management is evolving beyond traditional sign-in sheets. By integrating a modern security system, you can incorporate:

• digital registration platforms that integrate with watch lists and automated screening

• real-time visitor tracking capabilities

• temporary access credentials with built-in expiration; and

• automated notifications to staff when visitors arrive.

These systems can help improve physical security and access without creating bottlenecks that hurt patient safety or care.

Video Surveillance

Video surveillance is another critical component of your physical security strategy, but deployment in healthcare settings requires careful consideration of privacy concerns.

CCTV camera placement should focus on public areas, entry/exit points, and high-risk locations while avoiding patient care areas where privacy expectations are highest. Some healthcare providers are taking additional measures to protect privacy, such as digitally masking zones in patient areas. Modern AI-powered systems can automatically blur or mask sensitive areas while still monitoring for suspicious activity.

Healthcare facilities should establish clear policies regarding:

• Who can access surveillance footage and under what circumstances

• How long footage is retained

• Documentation requirements for footage review

• Training requirements for security personnel handling surveillance systems

As regulations governing the protection of patient privacy continue to evolve, compliance will become increasingly complex. While there is no federal law in the U.S., there is a patchwork of state regulations. There is currently new legislation being proposed for 2025 in Michigan, Ohio, Oklahoma, and Pennsylvania, and dozens of other states have new privacy requirements coming into effect in 2025.

Regulatory Compliance and Privacy Protection

Of course, HIPAA compliance is essential in healthcare, along with state-specific privacy laws. This includes protecting patient information in both physical and digital forms, implementing appropriate access controls, and maintaining detailed audit trails of all security-related activities.

Security designs should incorporate privacy assessments to ensure new measures don't inadvertently create privacy risks. For example, as more organizations implement biometric access controls, compliance becomes complex to ensure that the collection, storage, and access protect privacy. Biometric access control systems are becoming more sophisticated, with options like facial recognition and palm scanning that provide strong security while minimizing physical contact. However, use must be tightly controlled and managed.

Cybersecurity Considerations

Physical security and cybersecurity have become inextricably linked. Modern access control systems, surveillance cameras, and other security devices are increasingly connected to networks, creating potential vulnerabilities for exposure. Healthcare facilities must implement comprehensive cybersecurity measures to protect both traditional IT systems and physical security infrastructure.

Key focus areas for system protection include:

• Regular security audits of all connected devices

• Encrypted communications for security systems

• Secure backup systems for security data

• Integration with broader IT security protocols; and

• Regular updates and patch management for security devices.

   

Advanced Technologies in Healthcare Security

Artificial intelligence and machine learning are increasingly being incorporated into healthcare security. In 2025, expect an even greater emphasis on using AI tools to augment human intelligence.

One of the key emerging categories is AI tools that can detect potential security threats before they escalate. Algorithms can use video surveillance to “see” suspicious activity that indicates warning signs of potential threats and automatically alerts security teams. By identifying patterns in access attempts, for example, you can identify security risks and alert your security guards.

This also helps to reduce nuisance alarms which can desensitize security teams to actual threats.

Trauma-Informed Care

Modern healthcare security requires more than just physical and technical measures. A trauma-informed approach to security recognizes that hospitals are high-stress environments where patients and visitors may be experiencing significant emotional distress.

Healthcare providers and security personnel must be trained to recognize emotional triggers and provide trauma-informed care.

“Trauma-informed caregivers know trauma is often tied to substance use, mental illness, stigma, health care access barriers, and other challenges,” said David LaRose, MSCJ, CHPA, CPP, U.S. National Director of Healthcare at GardaWorld Security. “Recognizing this link, both health and security trauma professionals must ensure the patients feel safe and are not re-traumatized by their care.”

For patients, security personnel may represent law enforcement which can aggravate the situation. With the proper training and approach, security personnel can provide a supportive, healing environment, acting as partners in patient care rather than just enforcement agents.

In other words, you need a human approach to managing challenging situations. Providing de-escalation techniques with patients and visitors is essential. Staff shouldn’t be afraid to call security out of concern they might escalate the situation.

Read more: GardaWorld Security elevates Nashville General Hospital’s security to a higher level of competence

Getting Started

Implementing comprehensive security measures requires careful planning and assessment. Conducting a thorough physical security audit at least every three years helps to identify potential vulnerabilities and gaps.

As security becomes more integrated and layered to address both physical and digital threats, organizations must take a holistic approach. Integrated security solutions require blending security technology, training and awareness for staff, and clear policies and procedures for handling security incidents.

In healthcare, like other industry sectors, security is not a one-and-done exercise. Regular security reviews and updates are a must for addressing emerging threats.

Learn how GardaWorld Healthcare security services can help you provide compassionate care with best-in-class services to protect patients, professionals, and visitors at your facilities.