There is a huge need for protecting patient data in healthcare, and IT asset disposition plays a crucial role in this. Protected Health Information is any identifiable information that is held or transmitted by a business or its associates. This information specifically is what is used in the healthcare industry, and it can cover anything from demographic data, lab results, insurance information, and anything else on the patient’s data. This type of sensitive data is important to dispose of properly to avoid data breaches and personal information getting into the wrong hands. Effective and secure ITAD, IT asset disposition, can maintain compliance while also protecting patient data.
Risks of Improper IT Asset Disposition
Tons of risks are associated with improper disposal of IT assets, especially in the healthcare sector. There have even been breaches of healthcare data due to improper ITAD before, which lays out the foundation for just how important this is. Here are a few common mistakes that are made when it comes to data asset disposition, and how you can prevent making these mistakes.
Improper Data Sanitization
One of the biggest mistakes that is made when it comes to IT asset disposition is the failure to properly sanitize all data. Data sanitization refers to the act of removing all of the information from the cloud or physical devices that contain PHI material. Not scrubbing this material and data will allow it to be accessed by anyone who has access to the virtual or physical asset. It’s important to follow all HITECH and HIPAA regulations for sanitization and disposal of these assets. This includes wiping the data clean and disposing of the asset properly according to the guidelines for healthcare assets that contain patient data.
Lack of Documentation or Audits
Not having documentation or audits for the information and virtual assets can mean that you are not keeping track of asset tracking and staying away from possible breaches. Without tracking your assets, there is a possibility of losing track of devices that still have sensitive information in them, and therefore, could be a risk for unauthorized access. Having your documentation in place means that all the devices are accounted for from decommissioning to destruction of the devices. Audit trails also show a record of every single step in the IT asset disposition process, which allows for verification and ensures that you’re following security practices.
Not Following Compliance Regulations
If your company is not following ITAD compliance regulations, this could lead to many other issues. These regulations are put in place to keep patient data secure and avoid any penalties that might come if you do not follow these regulations. Compliance regulations are put in place to avoid data breaches, and there is a huge need for this in the healthcare industry. Fines and other problems can occur if your company does not follow these regulations and dispose of these assets in a secure and efficient way. This can cause financial loss to your company, among other issues, for the longevity of your business.
Case Study of Improper ITAD Data Breach
HealthReach Community Health Centers had reported an incident that affected over 100,000 patients and their information. This incident happened when they discovered that a third-party data storage facility improperly disposed of hard drives that contained patient data. This is a key situation that showcases the need for properly disposing of all physical and virtual assets associated with patient information. According to HIPAA, these devices must be disposed of by clearing the information and then purging or destroying the device by disintegration, pulverizing, melting, shredding, or incineration. These practices ensure that the data on the devices cannot be retrieved or reconstructed in any way.
The Role of ITAD in Securing Patient Data
By working with ITAD providers and implementing secure and strict destruction protocols, you can avoid having a breach and having patient data exposed. Not only this, but it allows your business to stay compliant with regulations such as HIPAA. ITAD is a necessary addition to your healthcare business to ensure that the company is practicing safe disposal practices and keeping up with the confidentiality of patient data. ITAD brings a tailored approach to healthcare assets and destroying these assets so that they’re unable to be recovered or recouped by unauthorized personnel. This keeps patient data safe, avoids potential repercussions from not meeting regulatory compliance, and also keeps the environmental impact low. Disposing of the physical devices is an important piece of this, but deleting the data is just as important, if not more important. HIPAA also has regulations that go over the specifics of how the data should be sanitized and how the physical devices should be destroyed to ensure that it is no longer able to be accessed in any way.
Cybersecurity Needs Are Growing for a Digitized Healthcare Environment
With healthcare becoming more digital and keeping patient information in online databases or hard drives, there’s a need to dispose of these assets and clear the data for proper disposal. A unique approach with ITAD allows healthcare businesses to keep up with the growing digital age while keeping patient data secure. There is an increased importance of cybersecurity and data sanitization, and ITAD is crucial for this, especially as the digital age continues to become more prominent and advanced.
IT Asset Disposition in Healthcare Compliance
In the healthcare industry, it’s important to keep your patients’ data private even after you’ve retired the devices and assets used to store it. This is where ITAD comes. ITAD plays a crucial role in healthcare and keeping patient data safe. Data protection is a long-term game, and it’s important to use data sanitization and compliant methods to destroy the devices in an effective manner. This keeps the data private and ensures that there is no access to it from any unauthorized personnel. There have been many instances of the failure to use proper IT asset disposition that have led to data breaches, costing companies millions, and destroying their reputation. Specifically for healthcare, there is a need for proper ITAD to keep patients safe and protect their data. Investing in your asset disposition could save your business and patients in the long run. If you’re a healthcare organization, it’s time to invest in ITAD practices that are secure and compliant with regulations. Contact us today to learn more.
