Hospitals are bound by State and Federal laws as well as hospital policies and regulations that restrict public access to certain service areas and departments in the buildings. These sensitive areas include, but are not limited to, the Maternity Department, Delivery and Labor Rooms, Nursery, Operating Rooms, Intensive Care Unit, Cardiac Care Unit, Emergency Treatment Rooms, Infection Control Areas, and Psychiatric Facilities, as well as private rooms of patients and specialized service areas such as dialysis. This is done so patient care goes on uninterrupted and patient privacy is protected. In emergencies, access to other hospital areas that are normally available to the medial also will be temporarily restricted.

Advance notice of visits by television stations will enable hospital staff and designated spokespersons to secure space clearance and made arrangements necessary to ensure that the electronic equipment used by camera crews will not impede patient care. In some areas, news people may be required to wear special clothing and have their equipment disinfected or protected.