Healthcare facilities should consider all physical assets containing patient health information (PHI) when setting up a security program, according to an article on the Health IT Security website.
Improperly disposed paper records pose a threat to the healthcare industry as many organizations go digital and are trying to get rid of these kinds of records.
For example, a defunct medical testing facility left paper records containing PHI for 170 individuals in a dumpster.
The problem is not only paperwork, device theft because of improper facility security can include the theft of thumb drives and laptop computers.