Infrared cameras for every application.

In the COVID-19 outbreak, the country has looked to our healthcare system with increased interest. As we stayed home to flatten the curve, we relied on doctors, nurses, and hospital staff to keep patients and visitors safe.  Now months in, changes in hospital service have become part of the new normal. From required PPE and COVID-19 wings to telehealth and temperature screening at the door, hospitals continue to take precautions. This ensures the health of staff, patients, and visitors. Like most things, hospitals look a little different right now. Staff have spaced out waiting rooms for distancing, and visitors aren’t allowed in many cases. Nurses advise patients to call ahead of their visits, so staff can plan ahead for potentially infected individuals. Doctors are delaying or moving elective appointments and procedures online. To better explain, we’ve detailed common adjustments that hospital service has made to ensure public safety.

Limiting Healthcare System Visitors

As the CDC recommends, many hospitals only allow visitors who are necessary for the well-being or treatment of a patient. Nurses encourage patients to contact visitors by phone while being treated in the hospital. Those who must be physically present have to pass an evaluation and screening for infection risk. For childbirths, some hospitals are allowing one visitor to share the moment with the mother. Fewer people mean less chance of infection entering the hospital.

Healthcare System Temperature Screening

Hospitals also use temperature screening to identify potential COVID-19 cases. Many use temperature guns or an infrared camera system to detect an elevated temperature. The CDC advises that hospital service staff set up a screening system outside of the hospital, and screen everyone who enters. This helps identify symptomatic staff, visitors, and patients before they can spread infection.

Attended Solutions

Temperature screening solutions involving an appointed operator to monitor screening are perfect for high traffic areas in a hospital. These systems use thermal cameras, temperature references, and a screen for maximum accuracy. They quickly and easily check people for an elevated temperature as they approach the camera. Screening stations with an operator allow for centralized monitoring with a plethora of alerts enabled. This makes systems convenient to integrate into existing security and check in systems, all while the operator is able to follow recommended social distancing guidelines.

Self-Service Solutions

Self-service screening kiosks are easy to integrate and are ideal for low to moderate levels of traffic like employee entrances. Upon arriving, employees follow prompts on the kiosk screen to get their temperatures scanned. The kiosk then prints out a badge displaying the employee’s picture and temperature result. The badge feature is perfect for restricting access to certain areas of the hospital, without undergoing a temperature screening.

General Hospital Services and Patients

Hospital service has also adjusted the way they care for non COVID-19 patients to reduce the risk of infection. While the first option is still to conduct appointments over the phone or video, sometimes it is necessary for a patient to go to the hospital. The CDC advises all hospitals to monitor case transmission in their area to make decisions. Staff might use daily screenings or require COVID-19 testing of all admitted patients. They may place physical barriers between patients and staff. Some hospitals use outdoor examination areas and triage stations. They may also isolate COVID-19 patients in certain areas of the hospital.

ICI’s Hospital Support Services

At ICI, our aim is to make it easy for hospitals to use infrared solutions for fast and accurate temperature screening. We are here to support all medical staff and patients as you strive to keep people safer in hospitals. Every hospital has its own existing security and admittance structures and making changes to those can require tedious work. But our systems use centralized monitoring helping simply the integration into current systems and relieving unneeded stress through the process. Maintaining distance is something we have learned to implement into our day to day lives. The structure of our temperature screening solutions cultivates a seamless way to keep a safe distance between the system operator and patient. Because our systems can be touchless, there is less risk of contamination. Tools like these, set visitors, patients, and staff at ease by catching COVID-19 symptoms at the door.

Slow the Spread with Infrared

Health service has and continues to adapt to ensure public health. Whether it means limiting visitors, temperature screening, or extra measures for Non COVID-19 patients, the healthcare system is working to keep us as safe as possible. As hospitals move forward into the new normal, some are beginning elective surgeries and non COVID-19 exams again. And ICI is here to help. Learn more about which of our infrared temperature screening solutions is the best fit to help your facility slow the spread.

Going out to eat looks different in 2020. For months, indoor dining has been limited and even closed in many cities across the nation. This lack of business has caused many restaurant owners a great deal of financial stress. As restaurants have begun to reopen their doors to onsite dining, it is crucial that we create a safer dining experience for patrons and staff with a few steps to lead us in the right direction. The CDC released a list of preventative measures restaurants should take in order to help slow the spread of COVID-19 as indoor dining resumes. Restaurants are encouraged to offer outdoor dining options to guests to allow for socially distanced tables in all areas. Temperature screening at the door is recommended across the country and is even required in some states, such as New York. Save restaurants and help return business with precautions such as these and proper PPE and face covering requirements, all while guests can reclaim the excitement and convenience of dining-in.

Outdoor Seating

When taking the leap back into dining in a public setting, outdoor seating is a great place to start! Many cities across the country have implemented outdoor dining while indoor dining rooms are still closed. This is a great option to allow for natural airflow and reduce person to person interaction in enclosed spaces. Restaurants with pre-existing patio dining, have provided a quick solution for patrons. On the other hand, many businesses have gone out of their way to build outdoor seating into their previous layout and workflow to create a safe dining experience for their guests. Outdoor seating has become one of the most popular quick-fix solutions to save restaurants and encourage a safer return to on-site dining.

Temperature Screening

Some cities have begun to reopen their doors for indoor dining along with the outdoor seating options. This luxury comes with new guidelines and requirements. Temperature screening checks at restaurant entrances are required in New York City for indoor dining and are recommended across the country. Implementing thermal cameras at entrance points helps save restaurants with a frontline defense for the establishment and offers greater peace of mind for employees and patrons. ICI offers both handheld and fixed mount solutions to provide a variety of products and features for all types of restaurant entrances and price points. These body surface temperature screening devices help keep symptomatic patrons and employees out of food establishments and intercept possible contamination.

Fixed Mount

A Mobile Cart Fixed Mount System is the perfect solution for restaurants with high traffic. Attended solutions, such as this one, are equipped with centralized monitoring to make integration into existing security systems convenient and stress free. Rapid screening allows an employee to scan the body surface temperature of a person before entering the building with speed and efficiency which removes the risk of long lines or backups at the door. Streamline the movement of people as guests are seated, all while the employee remains socially distanced from patrons.

Handheld

Mom and Pop shops may find that handheld temperature screening options better fit the needs of their business. With lower traffic flows and congestion of people, handheld infrared thermometers provide a cost efficient tool for temperature screening.  This non contact process allows an operator to scan the body temperature of a guest and recognize elevated temperatures from a short distance. The LCD screen and audible alerts ensure this tool is simple to use and highly effective. ICI’s handheld equipment is lightweight and portable to enable it for mobile use.

Social Distanced Dining

Whether dining outdoors or inside a restaurant, it is crucial to practice social distancing. Restaurants have the ability to rearrange tables and floor plans to ensure the maximum amount of space between patrons and ample room for employees to move about the establishment. When dining indoors, there is less natural airflow. Therefore, spread out tables encourage social distanced dining. The CDC recommends symptomatic people to stay home to slow the spread of contamination. We can catch some symptoms at the door through temperature screening. When it comes to asymptomatic people, tools, and techniques such as socially distanced seating arrangements save restaurants with an easily implemented precaution.

Employee Protection with PPE and Face Covering Requirements

Employee protection is rightfully a high priority for restaurant owners. Acquiring and wearing proper PPE is an important step to create a safer environment for restaurant staff.  A cloth face covering is most important when it is difficult to keep a physical distance. These masks should be worn in the proper fashion and washed according to CDC recommendations. It is crucial to encourage guests to keep face coverings on at all times, when not eating. This simple precaution is a buffer and defense against unintentional contamination.

Slow the Spread at The Door

The year 2020 has thrown a wrench into many businesses, but we can help save restaurants if we take these few precautions. When outdoor seating is offered as an option, temperature screening is in place, tables are socially distanced, and proper PPE and face coverings are worn, we are working to slow the spread of COVID-19 at the door. The more intentional restaurants are to implement a frontline defense, the quicker we can return to indoor dining with peace of mind. As indoor dining begins to reopen, it is up to restaurant owners to create a safer dining experience. Take advantage of this turnkey solution, and protect your employees and patrons with ICI temperature screening technology.

It looks as though COVID-19 is here to stay. With our lifestyles so drastically altered over the last several months, there is a growing sense of public restlessness. Industries worldwide are developing new technologies and procedures to get back to normal without sacrificing safety. The travel industry is no excepti