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By Jeff Wardon, Jr., Assistant Editor

November 2024

With healthcare being an ever-changing field, the door hardware for healthcare facilities also has to keep up with their rapid evolution. This means making doors more accessible, secure and durable as healthcare facilities deal with many different types of people. 

Facility Maintenance Decisions spoke with door hardware manufacturers to better understand the current forces influencing trends in door hardware for healthcare facilities that maintenance and engineering managers need to be aware of.   

FMD: How has the need for more flexibility and adaptability in healthcare facilities changed the development of door hardware products? 

“A growing aging population pushes entry and exit methods that require less dexterity and force to operate, meaning that single action, one-touch (a push to open), or no-touch (a hand-wave to open) operation suits the greatest potential number of users. Friction in operation is reduced for everyone (Universal Design), which is what most accessibility regulations around the globe have steadily achieved and continue to increase the prevalence. When it comes to door hardware, this is commonly achieved through clever mechanical designs that are often coupled with electronic sensors and actuators.   

The higher level of mental health prevalence (or diagnosis/identification) can incentivize healthcare facilities to provide greater attention to patient stress reduction, including while using common functions like restrooms, changing rooms, breastfeeding rooms and exam rooms. All of these are single-user private rooms where being undisturbed is paramount. Use/Vacancy indication on the outside of these rooms is understandably beneficial for the user's peace of mind, and many jurisdictions enforce regulations when it comes to new or renovating construction to include door hardware that shows if the room is being used by someone else. Such rooms commonly have standard/bored door preparations and use bored door locks.   

Tubular bore-hole-installed door locks are the simplest to change out or install, so smaller healthcare facilities especially conscious of cost-efficiency do not need to hire a professional and can install IN-USE/VACANT indicating privacy locks themselves.   

Larger institutions that have more funds can opt for cylindrical bored-door lock due to their higher robustness (but higher cost and more complex installation).” 

— Anatoliy Kaverin, product manager, Vizilok 

“Like K-12 schools and universities, and many other high-profile public facing venues, hospitals and healthcare facilities face the unique challenge of treating large numbers of patients daily who come and go across all hours of the day – every day. This presents a constant need to manage and monitor entry and egress activity in the most efficient and cost-effective manner possible to best ensure heightened safety and security at healthcare facilities. 

This is supported by the fact that workplace violence is five times higher at healthcare facilities than at facilities in other vertical markets. These highly volatile environments demand the need for security entrances across a wide spectrum of applications including areas dedicated to patient care, pharmacy and drug storage areas, retail and other money collection points, labs, nurseries, behavioral health and emergency rooms where many incidents occur. 

The proper selection and placement of the secured entry solutions in the most appropriate applications can help healthcare facilities create and maintain environments that are conducive to healing and the wellbeing of all who frequent these premises.” 

— Amanda Powell, marketing manager, Boon Edam  

Jeff Wardon, Jr., is the assistant editor for the facilities market.