Description:
Organizations establish and implement comprehensive policies and procedures to address the final disposition of electronic protected health information (ePHI) and the hardware or electronic media on which it is stored. Proper disposition practices are essential to protect the confidentiality and integrity of sensitive health information, ensure compliance with regulatory requirements, and mitigate the risk of unauthorized access or data breaches.
The policies and procedures encompass the entire lifecycle of ePHI, from creation to disposal. They specify the steps and measures to be taken when ePHI is no longer needed, or when the hardware or electronic media on which it is stored reaches the end of its usefulness. This includes secure erasure or destruction of ePHI to render it unreadable and unrecoverable, and the secure disposal of hardware or media to prevent data remnants.
Furthermore, these policies and procedures may dictate the use of encryption, secure deletion methods, and the documentation of disposal actions taken. Compliance with these policies is critical to protect patients' privacy and maintain the integrity of health information throughout its lifecycle.
Priority: High
Category: Data Security and Privacy
Services Associated with AWS:
N/A (This requirement is typically not specific to cloud services and may involve on-premises equipment and media)
Services Associated with Azure:
N/A (This requirement is typically not specific to cloud services and may involve on-premises equipment and media)
Objective Evidence:
Administrative: Documented policies and procedures for ePHI and hardware/media disposition
Administrative: Records of disposal actions taken, including secure erasure or destruction of ePHI and hardware/media
Technical: Documentation of secure deletion methods and encryption usage for ePHI
Possible Technology Considerations:
Data Erasure Tools
Secure Destruction Services
Encryption Software
Inventory Management Systems
What needs to be answered:
Are there documented policies and procedures for the final disposition of ePHI and associated hardware or media?
Can the organization provide evidence of compliance with these policies, including secure erasure or destruction methods?
Is there documentation regarding the use of encryption in the disposal process for ePHI and media?
Verify Policies and Procedures for ePHI and Hardware/Media Disposition
Description: This check ensures that organizations have established and implemented policies and procedures for the secure final disposition of electronic protected health information (ePHI) and the hardware or electronic media on which it is stored. These policies help protect the confidentiality and integrity of ePHI and mitigate the risk of unauthorized access or data breaches.
More details: Proper disposition practices are essential to safeguarding patient health information and maintaining compliance with data protection regulations. This measure assists in ensuring the secure and complete disposal of ePHI and associated media or hardware.