How to Dispose of Patient Records

Hospitals, insurance agencies, medical billing companies and other healthcare organizations are subject to the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPPA). These confidentiality requirements demand special care when disposing of medical records.

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Comprehensive Legal Overview

HIPAA requires proper disposal of physical medical records containing protected health information (PHI) through the following methods:

• Shredding
• Pulping
• Pulverizing
• Burning

Following these disposal methods demonstrates compliance with rules and regulations and helps your business avoid legal obligations.

Consequences of Noncompliance

HIPAA violations result in various consequences, from hefty fines to criminal penalties. Fines range from $100 to $50,000 per violation, depending on the grounds and whether there’s intent or willful neglect. The Office for Civil Rights (OCR) may attempt to resolve minor cases by requiring:

• Voluntary compliance
• Corrective action
• Resolution agreement

The Department of Justice (DOJ) handles the case for criminal violations. The penalty varies according to severity, including excessive fines or imprisonment. Along with HIPAA rules, state laws and regulations govern the disposal of medical records.

Destroy Medical Records With Confidential Shredding Services

The safest way to dispose of patient records is shredding. This process ensures no sensitive information that could put a patient’s identity and health information at risk can be recovered from the trash. With medical information costing 50 times the price of credit card information on the black market, identity thieves will use any method to get this data.

Given the high volume of medical records your organization handles, shredding in-house may not be the most accessible or efficient approach. Bulk shredding services can help. With a provider like TrueShred, you can properly dispose of patient records while complying with privacy laws. TrueShred is NAID AAA certified, so our team adheres to strict guidelines to keep our shredding services completely secure.

How Long Should You Retain Patient Medical Records?

State laws determine how long your organization must retain medical records before disposal. During retention, keep these records secure in locked filing cabinets or rooms with clear access controls to protect the information inside.

TrueShred operates in Maryland, Virginia and Washington, D.C. Retention requirements for these states are as follows:

• Washington, D.C.: Hospitals must retain records for 10 years following discharge. Physicians can destroy medical records after three years.
• Maryland: Providers must keep records for five years.
• Virginia: Hospitals must retain records for five years. Physicians must keep records for six years.

Step-by-Step Disposal Process

Understanding your legal obligations and the possible consequences of noncompliance can prevent penalties that will damage your financial standing and overall reputation. At TrueShred, we follow a secure and efficient destruction and recycling process to protect sensitive and confidential medical records. Our secure chain of custody includes:

• Collection of medical documents: Our uniformed employee arrives at your site and collects the documents for destruction. The shredding is done onsite/ curbside, so there is no data compromise and the chain of custody is unbroken.
• Document loading into the shredder: Documents are loaded into the mobile shredding trucks for on-site destruction. You can view the entire process through our closed-circuit monitor.
• Issuance of Certificate of Destruction: After the shredding process, we will issue a Certificate of Destruction for your compliance records.
• Secure recycling process of shredded materials: Upon completion, the shredded particles are securely recycled. Recycling is part of our commitment to an environmentally friendly world, generating new consumer products from shredded paper waste.

For ongoing services, we offer consoles and bins to protect documents until shredding. The chain of custody begins upon insertion of records into the storage solutions. The documents are kept secure until your next appointment and then undergo the on-site shredding process. All storage containers are locked and sealed for maximum security. Only designated keyholders in your facility and our NAID Certified destruction team can access the storage compartment.

Shredding Technology

The choice of shredding technology is critical, especially in industries that handle patient records regularly. Two of the most common shredding methods are:

• Strip-cut: This technique slices paper into long, thin strips. It’s a quick process but may provide a lower level of security. Strip-cut is ideal for everyday office documents with no highly confidential information.
• Cross-cut: This method cuts paper horizontally and vertically to create tiny squares. It’s a more secure shredding process since the shredded pieces are difficult to reconstruct. Cross-cut is suitable for hospitals, medical facilities and other institutions dealing with sensitive data. Cross-cut shredding is always the method used in our onsite shredding services.

Digital Records Management

Transitioning from paper to digital records requires strategic planning and execution. Plan the transition by classifying documents for digitization. The digitization process includes using high-quality scanners and appropriate file formats. Encryption and regulated access controls ensure the storage of digital records. Regular backups are also necessary in case of hardware failure, human errors or even natural disasters.

For disposal, adhere to complete data sanitization and enforce relevant archival policies. Regular audits of digital records are crucial for security and compliance.

Dispose of Hospital Records With TrueShred

As a secure document shredding company, TrueShred keeps patient information confidential during disposal. We provide on-site and off-site medical shredding services, as well as one-time paper shredding to work for your needs. Get in touch with us today to get a pricing estimate.