When it comes to healthcare, protecting patient data isn’t just best practice—it’s the law.
Under HIPAA, healthcare providers and their business associates must properly safeguard Protected Health Information (PHI)—even when retiring old devices. That’s where IT Asset Disposition (ITAD) plays a critical role.
In this post, we break down how HIPAA impacts IT disposal and what you need to do to stay compliant.
The Risk: Old Devices = Hidden PHI
Outdated laptops, servers, hard drives, and even copiers may contain:
- Patient names
- Treatment histories
- Insurance details
- Billing records
If that data isn’t properly destroyed, your organization could face serious consequences—including fines up to $1.5 million per violation.
HIPAA Compliance and ITAD
To remain compliant, your ITAD process must include:
- Secure Data Destruction
Use DoD- or NIST-level erasure or physical destruction methods. IITS offers both.
- Chain of Custody Documentation
Track devices from pickup through final destruction.
- Certificates of Destruction
Keep formal proof for audit readiness.
- Business Associate Agreements (BAAs)
Ensure any third-party vendor (like your ITAD provider) is also HIPAA-compliant.
Don’t Rely on Deletion Alone
HIPAA specifies that PHI must be rendered unreadable and unrecoverable. Simply reformatting a drive or dragging files to the trash won’t cut it.
That’s why we use certified tools and physical shredding to ensure your devices are fully sanitized—backed by documentation and compliance reporting.
Final Thoughts
If your healthcare practice is recycling or reselling devices without a verified data destruction process, you’re taking a major risk.
Let IITS help you protect patient data and meet HIPAA requirements with confidence.
