Authorities estimate that between three and 20 percent of hospital expenditures could be saved if proper security controls were implemented. However, the protection budget for healthcare facilities is generally less than three percent of the total operating budget. The effective protection of any organization requires an understanding of its structure. The application of security principles in the hospital setting is unlike any other setting. The principles and its environment must mesh together to contribute to the delivery of quality patient care.
People generally view a hospital as a place in which the sick and injured receive medical care.
However the hospital has important secondary functions, including the education of physicians and other medical personnel, the prevention of disease, the promotion of health standards and the perpetuation of medical research. Hospital employees are a major component of the healthcare delivery system. The typical hospital has approximately four employees per patient. This number, of course, varies with the mix of specialties and types of patients in each hospital. The percentage of employees in any given position or work varies among healthcare facilities, depending on size and primary mission.