Hospital Security Searches Among Patients With Substance-Related Encounters.

ABSTRACT:

Importance

Hospital clinicians may request that security personnel search patients' rooms and belongings in response to suspected possession or use of illicit substances. Although searches are intended to protect patient and employee safety, little is known about search outcomes or consequences for clinical care.

Objective

To investigate the clinical context and outcomes of room searches among patients with substance-related hospital encounters.

Design, setting, and participants

Retrospective cohort study of security incident reports and electronic health record data for patients with substance-related hospital encounters between July 2021 and July 2023 at an urban, academic hospital with approximately 1000 beds in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Participants were adults

SUBMITTER: Nessen SJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11920837 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature