Safety under pressure: Getting duress alerts to the right people, fast

CENTEGIX data show that 90% of duress alerts come from individual staff members needing support, not system-wide emergencies.

Andrea Greco, senior vice president of healthcare sales at CENTEGIX, lays out what an effective response should look like inside a practice or hospital.

The goal, she says, is twofold: alerts must be immediate and discreet. Notifications should go straight to the people who can actually help — whether that’s a unit leader on the floor, in-house security, or local law enforcement for standalone clinics without on-site security — without triggering chaos for patients and visitors.

Greco stresses that duress systems work best when they’re aligned to the reality of each organization: its layout, staffing model and available resources.

That means mapping who responds to what, at which locations and pairing technology with strong de-escalation training so staff feel supported, protected and able to keep the environment calm even when situations escalate.