Shred Paper PHI
Shred copies of sensitive information when disposing – do not simply toss them in the trash. Cross-cut shredders are very useful in making printed sensitive information both unreadable and unusable. Or place in locked shredder bins which may be located throughout your facility.
Remember to shred any printouts containing any information that would be useful to identity thieves, an ever-increasing problem. This includes documents containing any personal, financial or protected health information.
This guidance also addresses the destruction of PHI both in paper and electronic form as a method for rendering such information unusable, unreadable, or indecipherable to unauthorized individuals. If PHI is destroyed prior to disposal in accordance with this guidance, no breach notification is required following access to the disposed hard copy or electronic media by unauthorized persons.