CAP Index and International Association for Healthcare Security and Safety Announce Study of Hospital Security in United States.

Business Editors/Health & Medical Writers

PHILADELPHIA--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb. 21, 2000

A Study of 920 U.S. Hospitals Finds That Hospitals Tend to Be

Located in Higher Crime Areas; Urgent Need Exists for Continuing

Research Into Types of Threats and Effective Security Measures 

CAP Index Inc. and the International Association for Healthcare Security and Safety (IAHSS) today publicly announced the completion of a unique IAHSS-endorsed research study conducted by CAP Index into the security threats faced by healthcare facilities in the United States.

CAP Index chairman and chief executive officer Robert M. Figlio presented the findings earlier this month at the IAHSS' mid-winter seminar in Orlando, Fla. The study focused on crime risks and security threats at 920 representative hospitals in the United States. The complete results of the study will be published in the Summer 2000 edition of the Journal of Healthcare Protection Management.

According to Figlio: "CAP applauds the IAHSS for its leadership in endorsing this important research. The incidence of serious crime -- from murder and rape to workplace violence -- is a critical issue for the healthcare industry and society in general," Figlio said. "It is somewhat ironic that hospitals tend to be located in higher crime areas overall, due at least in part to population densities in urban areas. Even banks and fast food restaurants tend to be located in safer areas than hospitals. Crime risks vary by region, with hospitals in New England generally located in safer neighborhoods than those in the Mid-Atlantic, Southwest and Southeast regions.

"The study suggests areas for additional research: What are the dynamics of healthcare crime in the context of types of institutions (multipurpose medical centers, research facilities, clinics, home healthcare); the relationships among criminal incidents and other types of security incidents; and the correlation between threat and actual incidents relative to the types of security programs in place at each facility. The healthcare security industry needs to continue its research and work to develop informed data-driven security programs," Figlio said.

According to Edward Flores, CPP, CHPA, president of IAHSS: "The IAHSS is pleased to have teamed with CAP Index on this important study. We are committed to providing our members with the most accurate safety data and analysis available to help them make informed decisions about the safety of their institutions."

CAP Index and the IAHSS selected the 920 hospitals, seeking a balanced geographic representation across the United States. Each hospital was coded according to latitude and longitude and assigned a CRIMECAST score, based on CAP's unique forecasting model that determines the likelihood of the occurrence of 10 categories of crime at each site. CAP's database analysis techniques then allowed for the quantification of the relative threat levels at each hospital site.

About CAP Index:

CAP Index Inc., with headquarters outside of Philadelphia in Exton, Pa., pioneered the field of crime risk information and vulnerability analysis. CAP Index chairman and CEO Robert M. Figlio, Ph.D., has written extensively on sociological, crime and security issues. He also specializes in premises liability expert testimony.

CAP Index is the only source of precise, site-specific, objective crime risk forecasts for the entire United States and Canada. CAP Index product offerings include CRIMECAST(TM) database reports and site maps; MallRisk, a pre-packaged database containing CAP Index scores and maps for the 4,000 largest U.S. malls and shopping centers; APB/College Community CrimeCheck reports covering the nation's 1,497 four-year colleges and universities; and a host of online crime databases, most notably through Microsoft's Homeadvisor.com and APBNews.com, the leading crime-oriented Web site. For additional information, visit www.capindex.com.

About IAHSS:

The International Association for Healthcare Security and Safety is the only professional trade organization dedicated to healthcare security and safety. The IAHSS is a not-for-profit professional organization serving healthcare security and safety executives around the world.

Founded in 1968 by a visionary group of healthcare security administrators, it has grown to be the largest association of its kind. It works to improve and professionalize security and safety in healthcare facilities through the exchange of information and experiences among healthcare security and safety executives.

It promotes cooperation among the members and provides healthcare security and safety executives with current information through educational programs and publications designed to meet the challenges and complexities of protecting a modern healthcare facility. Information on membership and programs can be found at www.iahss.org.