Members of the general public often think of faxing as an outdated technology, but those working in the medical field know better. In that context, faxing still plays an essential role in ensuring patients’ privacy and data security.
The fact that hospitals, clinics, and other healthcare facilities still use faxing regularly to transmit protected health information (PHI) doesn’t mean they’re still relying on legacy fax machines. Most have moved on to more modern, cloud-based faxing technologies to facilitate safe and secure information exchange. Anyone interested in learning more about the current HIPAA-compliant faxing landscape can read on to find out all they need to know.
What Is HIPAA Compliance?
The key to understanding HIPAA faxes is to get a clear idea of what HIPAA compliance is and what it requires. The first important thing to know is that HIPAA doesn’t just apply to healthcare facilities. Any company that comes into contact with PHI also needs to ensure compliance with HIPAA regulations.
Some business owners may be tempted to assume that ignorance is the best defense and just ignore HIPAA rules and regulations. That’s not a good plan, though, because substantial penalties can still be imposed on companies that are found to be non-compliant, including those that use faxing services that don’t fully grasp the importance of following HIPAA’s Security and Privacy Rules.
Choosing a Faxing Service
When choosing which online faxing service to trust, make sure that the company is able and willing to take all appropriate steps to control data access and ensure that all information is protected while it’s in transit and at rest. The information should be hosted in secure data centers and should be protected by state-of-the-art encryption. Working with a cloud faxing service that will sign a Business Associate Agreementcan eliminate a good deal of uncertainty when choosing a provider.
Addressing Local Device Vulnerability
HIPAA violations are just as likely, if not more likely, to occur when PHI is stored on local devices as they are to happen while data is in transit. The problem is that faxes sent via HIPAA-compliant service providers can still wind up in the hands of unauthorized parties.
Avoiding that worst-case scenario requires implementing strict policies regarding how information is handled before and after faxes containing PHI are sent. Training employees to avoid storing sensitive information on personal devices is a good start. Controlling physical access to paper documents is equally important, though. If a legacy fax machine is still in use, for example, make sure it is located in a place with controlled access and that documents received are either secured or destroyed as required by HIPAA regulations.
Tips for Ensuring Compliance
By far the most important thing to do to ensure compliance with HIPAA when faxing PHI is to work with the right cloud faxing service. That’s not enough, though. It’s also important to:
Maintain a clear audit trail.
Ensure that faxes are never left unattended.
Locate multi-use printers in locked rooms.
Provide adequate training for all employees.
Find a Secure Cloud Faxing Service
By far the most important thing for healthcare facilities and their business partners to know about HIPAA-compliant faxing is how important it is to sign up with a secure cloud faxing service. In most cases, legacy fax machines and paper documents should also be abandoned in favor of more secure, online-online options
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