Electronic disposal in Hospitals and the Medical Industry: E-waste Management for Hospitals.

A guide to planning an electronic recycling or disposal program at Hospitals

What is IT ASSET disposal?

IT asset disposal is the process of disposing or recycling computer equipment, such as servers, desktop PCs, laptops, printers, and other office equipment.

How does a medical facility handle e-waste?

IT Asset disposal in the Medical Industry is a complex issue. A simplified approach to IT waste management in the medical industry is good to start. It’s essential to look at the big picture to understand how these parts fit together.

What should a hospital consider in planning for e waste recycling?

Technological advancements have led to an increase in communication and data transmission and an increase in the use of computers and other electronics. Unfortunately, technology advancements and products performance often mean frequent replacements. Those replacements often cause hospitals to have large amounts of valuable space dedicated to storing e-waste items.

Storage space is costly, and hospitals need to ensure that storage areas are used efficiently.

Hospitals should look into IT asset disposal programs to free up valuable storage room space while protecting the environment.

What could be concerning to an IT asset manager when considering the disposition of e-waste?

The Medical Industry is a significant consumer of IT assets. The healthcare industry uses computers, servers, and other devices to store data and track patient Information, among many other things. The disposal of IT assets in the healthcare industry is a significant concern.

Computers and other electronic devices store data on hard drives, which is considered private patient information and subject, and therefore subject to regulations such as HIPAA.

What are essential considerations in creating a medical facility electronics disposal program?

There are many factors in preparing for the disposal of electronics in the medical field. Let’s discuss an outline that might be helpful in the design of an electronics waste management program in the hospital field.

Planning for the handling of sensitive Information

Sensitive or private Information: the team should go through a list of IT assets in inventory and list any device that might contain sensitive data. (consider servers, computers, scanners, medical equipment etc.) The majority of patient data may be stored in the cloud. The electronics waste management process needs to ensure that the business strictly complies with all state and federal regulations, including HIPAA.
Consider labels and CDs or USB drives that might have been left on the devices

Define Product lifeline:

Product lifeline should be clearly defined by management, considering the budget for replacing electronics and the useful life of the device, and the integration of newer technologies.

The need for space in the hospital:

Considering the value of space being occupied by e waste and no longer used computers might give the business an incentive to plan and budget IT assets disposal.
Determine if there is a need for a secure shredding service or data deletion to help protect patient privacy
Consider who needs to participate in the planning of IT Asset Disposal Programs. The disposal process needs to be clearly defined, documented, and communicated. For example, should you include the feedback of medical providers?

How can a recycling facility like Ecycle101 help an IT Asset Manager?

During planning, consider the role of an electronic recycling partner. Ecycle101 can assist you:

collection of computers, servers, hard drives
e-waste and computer recycling
data wiping or data eradication
overall electronic waste management
device recurring collection schedules and more.

Can other businesses use this guide in planning for e-waste management?

Yes, even if HIPPA does not apply in your business, a leak of private information can be costly to any business in terms of money and the loss of customer trust and loyalty.

Join the dozens of hospitals who count on Ecycle101 for disposal of electronic waste.

Electronic Disposal in Hospitals and the Medical Industry: E-waste Management for Hospitals