Systemic Aspects of Security Technology in Hospitals: Combining STEEPVSWOT Methodologies in Risk Analysis of Hospitals

Coping with risk situations in hospitals can be complex and controversial. Government and industries have devoted considerable resources to develop and apply techniques of risk analysis and risk characterization in order to make better informed and more trustworthy decisions about security threats to human health, welfare and the environment. Risk analysis methods often fail to meet the expectation of being able to improve decision making. One reason lies in the inadequacies of available techniques for analyzing risks. In recent years, awareness of the fact that hospitals may be targets of terrorism attacks has increased. In addition, security awareness in hospitals and associated health centers has increased in western countries. This article pays special attention to technology related risks and threats in hospitals by analyzing systemic aspects of security technology and associated risks in hospitals. The systemic analysis is done separately on hospital systems and on surrounding environmental systems. Typical risk and threat analyses are performed by combining STEEPV methodology and SWOT-analyses. This kind of quite simple but flexible methodology is a promising tool in the analysis of risks and systemic aspects of security technology in hospitals. Relevant wild cards of hospital services relying on available security technologies are discussed widely. In short, the STEEPV-SWOT methodological approach includes four phases: (1) Weak signal identification related to the internal and external STEEPV systems of a hospital, (2) Listing the most challenging systemic STEEPV Wild Cards, (3) SWOT analyses on STEEPV wild cards, (4) Risk and security management plan based on systemic SWOT analyses of the most serious and risky wild cards. It is important that hospital stakeholders are active partners in this risk management and security analysis process.