When you prepare for a DoH ADHICS audit, the process can feel intense. You deal with deadlines, documentation gaps, and pressure from every direction. Although the audit aims to improve your security posture, the preparation often turns into a stressful race against time. That changes when you work with a clear and complete evidence checklist. You have many responsibilities, but you can move through the audit confidently when you know exactly what the auditor expects. This guide gives you a ready-to-use ADHICS evidence checklist along with detailed explanations.
You will understand what to collect, how to organize it, and how to avoid the mistakes that many healthcare facilities make every year. Let’s walk through everything you need for a successful ADHICS audit in 2025.
Overview of ADHICS 2025 Requirements
ADHICS sets strict cybersecurity and data protection standards for all healthcare entities under the Department of Health Abu Dhabi. The 2025 updates focus on stronger governance, deeper risk management, and tighter security controls. Since cyber risks continue to rise, the DoH expects every organization to follow the standard with discipline.
You must show complete, accurate, and verifiable documentation. The auditor checks your policies, processes, and technical evidence. You need proof that your systems protect patient data, secure your infrastructure, and reduce risks in a structured way.
Why the ADHICS Evidence Checklist Matters
You may meet all ADHICS requirements, but you still need strong proof. Without evidence, the auditor cannot confirm your compliance. That is why many facilities fail even though they follow good practices.
A checklist helps you track what you already have and what you still need. It keeps every department aligned, reduces last-minute work, and improves accuracy. Most importantly, it gives you peace of mind during the audit because you know you covered everything.
Pre-Audit Preparation Essentials
You simplify evidence collection when you prepare early. Start by creating a small cross-functional team. Include IT, cybersecurity, HR, operations, and administration. Each department should know exactly which evidence they own.
Next, confirm your audit scope. Identify the systems, clinical applications, networks, and medical devices included. Then map each ADHICS requirement to a specific proof document. This eliminates confusion later.
Finally, create a timeline. Set internal deadlines and conduct a self-audit before the official review. This step helps you discover gaps early.
ADHICS Evidence Collection Checklist
Below is your complete checklist with explanations for each category. You can use this to prepare your audit folders and evidence repository.
Governance and Leadership Evidence
Strong governance shows the auditor that your organization takes cybersecurity seriously. You should collect documents that demonstrate leadership involvement, role clarity, and continuous oversight.
Gather items such as your security policy, organizational structure, and governance framework. Include cybersecurity committee meeting records and your annual compliance plan. Add proof that leadership supports cybersecurity efforts through resource allocation or budget approvals.
Risk Management and Assessment Evidence
Risk management plays a central role in ADHICS. You must prove that you understand your risks and manage them proactively.
Prepare your latest risk assessment report. Include a complete risk register, updated threat analysis, and vulnerability assessment results. Add penetration testing reports and corrective actions. These documents show your ability to identify and control risks before they cause harm.
Technical and Security Controls Evidence
Technical controls form the largest part of the audit. Because of this, you need clear, accurate, and updated evidence.
Include network diagrams, asset inventory files, and firewall configuration reports. Provide antivirus deployment details, patch management logs, device hardening checklists, and encryption implementation proof. Add monitoring logs and SIEM reports to show your visibility into system activity.
Incident Management and Reporting Evidence
Your incident response structure must be strong and well-documented. The auditor expects proof that you handle incidents quickly and follow DoH requirements.
Provide your incident response policy, incident logs, and full investigation records. Include root cause analysis reports, drill results, and communication logs. These documents show that your team can manage incidents without delays.
Access Management Evidence
Access control protects patient data from unauthorized users. You must show clear access processes and enforcement.
Prepare your access policy, approval forms, and privileged user lists. Include user access review records, password policy, MFA evidence, and offboarding logs. Together, these items prove that your organization controls user privileges effectively.
Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery Evidence
ADHICS requires resilient systems and fast recovery. You must show that you can continue operations during disruptions.
Collect your BCP and DR policies, backup strategy, and backup logs. Add test reports, restoration evidence, and recovery procedures for critical systems. When you maintain this documentation, you demonstrate operational readiness during emergencies.
Data Privacy and Patient Rights Evidence
Privacy plays a major role in ADHICS. You must protect patient rights at every point.
Prepare your privacy policy, consent procedures, and data handling guidelines. Include patient data retention logs, disposal records, and privacy training documentation. These prove that you respect and protect patient data throughout its lifecycle.
Vendor Management and Third-Party Security Evidence
Vendors bring additional risks, so you must manage them carefully.
Collect your vendor inventory, third-party risk assessments, and security questionnaires. Include contractual clauses, SLA documents, and vendor performance evaluation reports. This evidence shows that your external partners follow your security expectations.
Practical Tips to Organize Your Evidence
You make the audit smoother when you organize evidence properly. Create folders for each ADHICS domain and follow a simple naming structure. Keep documents in PDF and original formats. Update your evidence every quarter and maintain a central repository.
Use a simple spreadsheet to track each evidence item. Assign owners and renewal dates. This system reduces confusion and keeps your audit readiness high throughout the year.
Common Mistakes to Avoid in ADHICS Audits
Many organizations lose points because of avoidable mistakes. You can prevent these issues by planning early.
Avoid last-minute evidence collection. Outdated documents cause confusion, so replace them on time. Never rely only on policies. You must support every statement with proof. Conduct internal audits to spot errors early and correct them before the official review.
You now have a complete ADHICS evidence checklist that prepares you for your DoH audit in 2025. When you follow this structure, you stay organized, reduce pressure, and protect your compliance score. You can build confidence, avoid mistakes, and present clean, verifiable documentation during your audit. Start preparing now so you walk into the review fully ready.
If you want help creating a downloadable checklist or folder structure, just let me know.
FAQs
1. What evidence does the ADHICS auditor review first?
Auditors often start with governance documents because they show your structure, responsibilities, and overall compliance approach.
2. How often should I update my ADHICS evidence?
It helps to update your evidence every quarter and after any major system or operational change.
3. Do small clinics follow the same ADHICS requirements as large hospitals?
Yes. The core ADHICS requirements stay the same. The only difference is the scale of evidence.
4. Can I pass an ADHICS audit without technical evidence?
No. Technical controls form a major part of the audit and require clear proof.
5. What is the simplest way to prepare for an ADHICS audit?
Use a structured checklist, conduct internal audits, assign responsibilities, and maintain a clean evidence repository.