Businesses in certain industries need enterprise fax technology to optimize their operations. When it comes to organizations in the healthcare industry, the use of fax server software goes beyond a simple need for optimization. Faxing is must-have technology because of HIPAA regulations and their mandated compliance. From the largest hospitals and insurance companies to the smallest outpatient offices, healthcare entities must fax, which is why the technology has been crucial for the industry throughout the years.
Early Faxing in the Fax Healthcare Industry
When faxing really took off in the 1970s, healthcare organizations adopted the technology as the primary way to transmit everything from patient records to bills, prescriptions, orders, etc. Faxing was the fastest way to transfer information from office to office, no matter where the sender and receiver were located.
As faxing grew, so did the regulations that came with it. HIPAA violations became a great concern for healthcare organizations who fax, and it wasn’t until fax software came along that these concerns were greatly reduced.
Redefining Healthcare Faxing
Digital fax solutions like SIP, T.38, PRI and T1 soon offered healthcare organizations the ability to ditch phone lines and implement Fax over Internet Protocol (FoIP) solutions. Even more modern hybrid fax solutions have leveraged the Cloud, allowing users to send faxes via secure Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTPS).
These types of faxing became even more integrated once healthcare organizations began digitizing their patient records using electronic health record (EHR) systems. The ability to transfer patient records from document storage systems and fax them without having to print them out and bring them to a standalone fax machine has many benefits:
- Increased security with SSL encryption
- Easier compliance with HIPAA regulations
- Elimination of costs associated with paper, toner and multifunction printers
- Environmental sustainability
- Faster, easier faxing
Where to Go From Here
Fax is still alive and well in the healthcare industry, and it’s still the most secure way to transfer patient health information across providers, insurance companies and other entities. Patient confidentiality and compliance are major concerns, and the fax industry has continued to innovate in order to make it easier for healthcare organizations to rely on ever-evolving fax technology.
Want to discuss your healthcare organization’s fax needs? Contact The Fax Guys today to discover how we can customize a solution that is right for your organization.