Your business retains all kinds of information on a daily basis. While it's necessary to keep records of your patients and clients, unauthorized personnel can gain access to older documents and breach your data. Find out what size of paper shredding is HIPAA compliant and implement a paper shredding routine that will benefit your medical or legal office spaces.
Understand HIPAA’s Shredding Requirements
HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) mandates that protected health information (PHI) requires proper paper shredding policies in a way that renders it completely unreadable and impossible to reconstruct. This means simply tearing up documents or using a basic strip-cut shredder will not yield desirable results.
According to compliance guidelines, a cross-cut or micro-cut shredder that reduces paper into tiny, confetti-like particles works well for office spaces. Consider shredders that meet a particle size of 1mm x 5mm to achieve the required security level.
Choose Shredders With a High Security Rating
Each paper shredder has a security rating that determines its performance and efficiency. To stay HIPAA compliant, choose paper shredders rated at a P-4 security level or higher.
- P-4 shredders: P-4 shredders destroy documents into pieces no larger than 160mm², which makes them ideal for general medical records.
- P-5 to P-7 shredders: P-7 shredders meet the NSA’s standards for top-secret documents. Also, using a P-5 or larger shredder is highly recommended for particularly sensitive records, such as legal contracts or insurance claims.
Incorporate Cross-Cut or Micro-Cut Technology
Shredders with cross-cut or micro-cut technology offer high levels of security. Determine which feature best suits your business protocols.
- Cross-cut shredders: Reduces documents into small, rectangular pieces that are difficult to reconstruct. This is often used in medical or legal offices for routine shredding.
- Micro-cut shredders: Offers an even finer shred to turn papers into particles almost impossible to piece together. If your office handles highly sensitive patient or client data, these are the best choice.
Shred Documents Consistently and Promptly
Consistent routines are important when it comes to HIPAA-compliant paper shredding. Keep a schedule for shredding older records and index each document before disposal in case you need to account for its destruction. For example, many offices conduct paper destruction monthly or quarterly, based on internal workflows and record retention policies.
Ensure Staff Training in Compliance
Even the best shredders are ineffective if staff members fail to follow policy guidelines. Regularly train employees on proper data management and set reminders for shredding PHI. This minimizes risks of human error or accidental breaches.
Aside from your paper documents, you may also need to destroy flash drives, CDs, and other storage devices that contain patient and staff information. For a commercial document shredder that will handle all types of media, browse our products at Capital Shredder! With help from our team, you can abide by HIPAA guidelines, avoid costly legal fines, and keep your patients safe from security breaches.