Faxing is a method of sending documents using end-to-end encryption to protect the information from being intercepted. This is important for several industries in which data protection is essential, making it a must-have for healthcare. Online fax services bring this means of communication into the digital age and make it accessible for the healthcare industry and all types of businesses.
The Importance of Online Faxing in the Healthcare Industry
The healthcare industry holds a massive amount of personal, medical, and financial data about its patients. This information must be shared between many healthcare professionals while being kept confidential at all times. This makes a secure fax service the perfect solution for transmitting sensitive documents quickly and safely.
This article will demonstrate the benefits of online faxing services for several different areas of the healthcare industry.
Benefits and Advantages of Online Fax Services for Healthcare Providers
Here are the top five ways that online fax services benefit healthcare providers.
1. Secure and HIPAA-Compliant Document Transmission
Data protection is important in all industries but perhaps none more so than in the healthcare industry. Failure to take adequate security measures that comply with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) of 1996 can result in large fines. One way to ensure that you follow the necessary security rules to protect health information is by using a compliant fax solution.
Online fax services encrypt data during transit, protecting sensitive personal health information against unauthorized access. They also provide audit trails, which are detailed logs of transmissions. This record of both incoming and outgoing faxes helps with compliance audits and ensures that the patient’s private information has not been accessed without authorization. This is a feature that you are not guaranteed when emailing documents.
2. Streamlined Patient Information Management and Accessibility
The best online fax services facilitate easy integration with other software systems. Universal access to electronic health records from a computer or mobile phone is crucial for the health industry. For example, patients’ records can be updated and accessed instantly by sending a fax from a computer in the hospital. Then a pharmacist can quickly check the system to ensure there are no risks of drug interactions or mistakes. This kind of interoperability in the healthcare ecosystem streamlines the process of patient information management, improving the quality of care.
Having all faxed records automatically combined in a central resource not only makes them accessible by healthcare professionals in different locations, but it also means they are organized more efficiently. Incoming faxes can be automatically labeled and saved with a timestamp. The system’s automation removes the risk of human error and makes records easily retrieved through a built-in search function.
3. Improved Communication and Collaboration Among Healthcare Teams
It is important that multiple healthcare professionals can access, edit, and annotate documents for the same patient in real time while remaining compliant with HIPAA confidentiality standards.
Your family doctor may need to send your medical records to a specialist for a consultation. They can send an encrypted fax via email that will arrive instantly. The consultant can then review the document and add a digital signature to confirm approval of a course of treatment.
Busy doctors no longer have to run around the hospital and go to a physical fax machine to pick up an incoming document. They can review the document on their computer or mobile device, edit if necessary, and send an outgoing reply, all while maintaining security standards.
4. Enhanced Efficiency and Workflow in Healthcare Operations
When you send a fax online, it reliably arrives immediately. This is hugely important in the healthcare industry when time is of the essence. A doctor working with a patient may be waiting on urgent lab results. When you use fax services online, you receive a notification as soon as the incoming fax is delivered. This ensures that no time is wasted in analyzing the lab results and making a diagnosis.
Sometimes you need to know that your outgoing faxes have been instantly received too. When checking with a patient’s health insurance provider, you may need to send sensitive information such as Social Security numbers to verify a patient’s identity. This is a perfect case for online faxes. The information will be kept safe and transmitted urgently for the insurance company to review.
5. Cost Savings and Reduction in Paper Usage
Using fax services online eliminates the need for traditional fax machines and paper. You have the initial cost saving from not purchasing the physical fax machine and a dedicated landline number, but the benefits don’t stop there.
Your ongoing costs are also significantly reduced as you don’t need to keep paying for paper, toner, and machine maintenance. Not using paper also makes your organization more environmentally friendly and saves office space by storing all of your files digitally. This additional space can be invaluable in crowded hospitals. Freeing up room for patient waiting areas, more beds, and more open spaces allows for a less stress-filled environment.
Healthcare workers often work long shifts and late hours. Their focus should be on doing the best job for their patients. Using an online fax service means they no longer have to spend administrative time scanning and printing documents and manually organizing them into a database. This can all be done automatically, saving initial labor costs and reducing the time spent on remedying human errors.
Streamline Your Healthcare Processes With the Right Online Fax Provider
If you are ready to ensure that you are HIPAA compliant every time you send a sensitive document, contact the global leader of online fax services to see how we can help your healthcare business. At eFax, we work with millions of customers, from small businesses to Fortune 500 companies, so we have the right solution for you.
