Healthcare Document Shredding: Protecting Patient Privacy and Compliance

Identity Theft and Fraud

Identity theft and medical fraud are growing problems globally. According to the Data Protection Commission’s annual report 2021, there were 653 data breaches related to paper out of 6,549. Also, there were 219 breaches because the paper was lost or stolen.

From stolen insurance details to falsified medical histories to fraudulent prescriptions, fraudsters are always on the lookout to steal and profit from patients’ private medical information.

For example, medical identity theft often involves using someone else’s information to obtain healthcare services, prescription drugs or medical equipment that are then sold on the black market. Not only does this compromise another person’s medical treatment history in databases, but it also costs healthcare providers and taxpayers when false claims are processed and paid out.

These types of data privacy risks don’t just originate from hacking healthcare computer systems. A good percentage of breaches occur due to human error or improper “document destruction” of a physical medical report. Once paper documents fall into the wrong hands, confidential patient data can easily spread.

Risks of Inadequate Document Destruction

So what happens when your healthcare institution doesn’t properly deploy paper shredding mechanisms of physical documents and medical archives? Here are some risks:

Violations of Ireland’s Data Protection Act (DPA) and GDPR which requires organisations to have appropriate security measures for personal data records, including paper documents. Fines under the DPA and GDPR can reach up to €20 million or 4% of your firm’s annual global turnover for incidents that put patients’ data at risk.

Lawsuits, reduced patient trust, and damage to an organisation’s brand image if confidential data is leaked publicly due to unsecured paper records and violated privacy policies.

Rising insurance premiums if insurers see repeated incidents putting sensitive information at risk due to poor paper document handling procedures.

Staff accidentally recycling or tossing medical files containing private patient details in unlocked bins, making them vulnerable to dumpster divers stealing identities.

Criminals raiding poorly secured document destruction bins from hospitals or selling illegally acquired patient records on the dark web.

Such regulations in Ireland mandating that physical medical records have security protocols are necessary to protect patients’ confidential information. By partaking in compliance with these regulations, your healthcare institution is staying transparent to its customers while saving from hefty fines.

Medical Records Shredding: Best Practices

To mitigate risks around physical medical documents, your healthcare organisation should implement secure document shredding measures such as:

Perform onsite shredding of any obsolete, unnecessary paper records that may contain identifiable medical or insurance details of patients or staff. Offsite shredding can increase opportunities for breaches during transportation.

Use cross-cut shredders that turn records into tiny pieces or confetti-like shapes. This makes it nearly impossible for anyone to reconstruct meaningful data from shredding output.

Ensure you have locked containers and document storage carts at your hospital or healthcare body for keeping the records that need to be destroyed. This ensures no unauthorised access in interim periods.

Schedule medical records shredding at frequent intervals instead of allowing quantities to pile up over time (with the help of Pulp). This limits the impact of any potential data incidents.

Keep a log to track all paper records that have been destroyed, including what was contained, the date of shredding and the staff member who handled it. This strengthens accountability.

Verify personnel backgrounds, vet third-party vendors’ security qualifications, and ask shredding providers for certificates of destruction.

Use equipment like cross-cut shredders and carts specifically designed not to damage, spill or leave behind any intact confidential documents during the destruction process.

These document-shredding best practices will create a robust data protection strategy for your healthcare institution if you diligently follow them. These practices will also demonstrate your organisation’s commitment to ethics and compliance.

Whom Pulp Shredding Can Help

As an industry-certified and trusted secure paper shredding specialist catering to the healthcare sector, Pulp helps hospitals, private practices, care facilities, and other players to implement reliable document destruction processes easily.

With options for one-off shredding of outdated records as well as regular shredding service to align with data compliance needs, Pulp’s Garda vetted professionals and high-quality equipment provide complete peace of mind.

If your healthcare organisation needs an efficient solution for onsite medical records shredding and waste disposal, we’re here to help you — contact us. Pulp will ensure you safeguard your patients’ sensitive information.

CONTACT:

sales@pulp.ie

Dublin: 01 462 5540
Cork: 021 459 0100