How to Delete PHI in SharePoint Automatically

SharePoint offers storage, permissions, and versioning—but it cannot identify or delete PHI automatically. This leaves healthcare organizations vulnerable to HIPAA violations.

SharePoint limitations include:

• No PHI detection across uploaded files
• No automatic PHI removal
• No OCR for scanned medical records
• No deletion of PHI embedded in PDFs or images
• No cleanup of synced OneDrive content
• No deletion of historical PHI versions
• No HIPAA-driven retention rules
• No workflow-based PHI cleanup

Because SharePoint cannot detect or remove PHI, sensitive patient data often stays stored indefinitely—violating HIPAA’s minimum necessary and retention standards.

What PHI Exposure Looks Like Inside SharePoint Files

PHI is embedded across countless file types uploaded to SharePoint every day. PHI-rich files often include:

• Patient intake forms
• Medical claims PDFs
• Insurance member documents
• Lab results and diagnostic summaries
• Treatment plans
• Clinical notes and provider comments
• Telemedicine screenshots
• Photos of insurance cards or ID cards
• Excel sheets containing patient identifiers
• EHR snapshots uploaded via mobile devices
• Discharge instructions
• PDF EOBs and billing statements

Strac detects and deletes PHI such as:

• Patient names
• Dates of birth
• Medical Record Numbers (MRNs)
• Insurance IDs
• Diagnosis and treatment info
• Test results
• Clinical documentation
• Prescription details
• Provider information
• PHI hidden in images, scans, PDFs, or spreadsheets

HIPAA requires full removal of this data when inappropriate or unnecessary.

✨What It Means to Delete PHI in SharePoint

Deleting PHI in SharePoint means eliminating sensitive patient data from:

• Primary documents
• File versions
• Synced OneDrive copies
• Shared library locations
• Archived folders
• ZIP bundles
• Externally shared links
• Automated workflow destinations

Deleting PHI must include:

• Removing file content
• Clearing historical versions
• Deleting metadata (when applicable)
• Removing cached previews
• Revoking external access
• Blocking future uploads of the same file
• Logging all actions for HIPAA audits

Manual deletion cannot achieve this consistently.

Strac’s deletion engine provides:

• Full file deletion
• Version-by-version cleanup
• Targeted deletion of PHI pages or attachments
• Workflow-based deletion
• HIPAA-driven retention policy enforcement
• Alerts + delete workflows
• Historical cleanups across libraries

How to Automatically Delete PHI in SharePoint with Strac

Strac continuously scans SharePoint and synced OneDrive content for PHI. When PHI is detected, Strac can automatically delete the file—or escalate for approval.

How Strac’s PHI deletion works:

• AI + OCR detect PHI in documents and images
• Removing files in real time upon detection
• Cleaning all historical file versions containing PHI
• Deleting synced OneDrive artifacts
• Deleting attachments and embedded content
• Logging deletions for HIPAA compliance
• Supporting manual approval workflows
• Removing external sharing links containing PHI

Organizations can customize policies:

• Auto-delete high-risk PHI (MRNs, diagnosis info)
• Delete only in specific SharePoint sites/libraries
• Delete PHI only for non-HIPAA environments
• Delete based on department or user group
• Delete only after alert acknowledgment
• Retention-based deletion (e.g., after X months)

Real Examples of PHI Deletion in SharePoint

Example 1 — Clinician uploads diagnostic PDF to a non-HIPAA folder
Strac deletes the file immediately and logs the deletion.

Example 2 — Mobile scan of insurance ID card synced to OneDrive
Strac detects PHI and deletes both the SharePoint and sync copies.

Example 3 — Billing team uploads claim form containing PHI
Strac deletes the file and removes historical versions.

Example 4 — Contractor uploads patient list into a shared site
Strac removes the file and triggers a high-priority compliance alert.

All actions are preserved in HIPAA-aligned audit logs.

Why Strac Is the Best Way to Delete PHI in SharePoint

• Real-time PHI deletion across SharePoint + OneDrive
• OCR + AI detection for scans, PDFs, images, spreadsheets
• Full HIPAA PHI identifier support
• Automated deletion + historical cleanup
• Zero-agent deployment
• Comprehensive audit logs
• Optional blocking, alerting, and redaction
• Supports hybrid health, insurance, and telemedicine workflows

🌶️Spicy FAQs on How to Delete PHI in SharePoint

Does SharePoint automatically delete PHI?

No. SharePoint cannot detect or delete PHI on its own.

Can Strac delete PHI inside images or scanned documents?

Yes. OCR extracts PHI signals and deletes the file.

Does Strac delete previous versions of PHI files?

Yes. Strac cleans all PHI-containing versions.

Can policies delete only certain PHI types (e.g., MRNs)?

Yes. PHI deletion can target specific identifiers.

Does this support HIPAA compliance?

Yes. Automated deletion aligns with PHI minimization and lifecycle requirements.

Try Strac for SharePoint PHI Deletion & DLP

Strac helps healthcare and insurance organizations automatically detect, classify, and delete PHI across SharePoint libraries, folders, synced OneDrive directories, and shared document environments—ensuring HIPAA compliance and reducing exposure risks.