Due to the importance of saving lives, medical professionals should invest in the best of the best when it comes to technological innovations. Utilizing a dated resource or technique can be deadly, and as such, these employees are often working on the cutting edge of modern advancements.
One of these highly advanced technologies is fax over IP, a HIPAA compliant fax system that utilizes finely tuned software and mechanics to allow fax correspondence to be sent over the Internet. FoIP is beloved by many health care professionals, and we’d like to take some time and discuss just why that is.
1. It's HIPAA compliant
This is the biggest and definitely most important reason health care workers rely on FoIP. The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 laid out incredibly strict standards about how to move medical documents between professionals and exactly what kind of information is protected. Keeping this data secure is of the highest concern, as health care records often contain personally identifiable information, as well as evidence of uncomfortable medical conditions.
"HIPAA states that email isn't safe."
Due to the private nature of these documents, HIPAA states that email isn't safe enough for their transportation. With ever-popular hacking techniques such as phishing targeting email addresses in multiple industries, email can't be relied upon to keep information under wraps. FoIP, on the other hand, has always been known for its ability to keep medical transmissions secure. Health care professionals consistently rely on this technology in order to ensure the safety of private information.
2. It's convenient
While it’s great to know that patient information will remain private when sent through a FoIP system or HIPAA telemedicine, the fact still remains that convenience is king. The Internet age has allowed for people to communicate quickly and efficiently, and legacy fax simply doesn't provide the same ease of correspondence.
Thankfully, those working within health care no longer need to be slowed down by old and clunky fax machines. FoIP allows these employees to access documents through email addresses linked to their accounts. What's more, these emails can be viewed on mobile devices. Considering the fact that 68 percent of Americans currently own one of these gadgets – a statistic from the Pew Research Center that is constantly growing ever higher – having the ability to access faxed messages through a mobile device is a serious advantage. Even the busiest of medical professionals can access their most important medical records on the go.
3. It saves paper
This is less of a health care advantage and more of something that everyone can benefit from. Industries with compliance guidelines such as HIPAA are already relying on legacy fax machines. While this certainly solves the security concerns of most industry standards, it uses up quite a lot of paper.
In fact, a Ecology Global Network article written by Sam Martin points to a frightening statistic concerning global paper consumption. Martin stated that the world's paper usage has skyrocketed 400 percent in the last 40 years. Although this number encompasses both enterprise and personal use of paper, the fact remains that the world needs to decrease its paper consumption.
As stated above, cloud-based faxing systems like FoIP allow users to access messages via email. This definitely makes the workplace a lot more convenient, but it also seriously cuts down on the paper used in the office. What's more, it dissolves the headache of actually having to keep track of every single piece of paper. FoIP systems archive documents that are both sent and received. Considering how busy the average medical professional is, having one less thing to worry about is an obvious bonus.
4. They don't have to throw out legacy systems
Although all of these items are solid reasons for health care workers to utilize a FoIP system, the largest financial motivator has to be the fact that legacy fax systems don't need to be thrown in the trash. Upgrading hardware is extremely expensive, and hospitals and other medical facilities need every dollar they get to continue to provide great care for their patients.
FoIP allows medical professionals already using legacy fax systems to simply plug a device into their machines that are connected to the Internet. Once installed, this device allows for documents to be sent and received over the Web. It's a simple fix that means health care administrators won't have to max out their budgets upgrading their record transferring systems.
Enhance enterprise communication, collaboration and compliance efforts with a proven FoIP solution from FaxCore. Contact FaxCore today to learn more about their 'Partly-Cloudy' fax solutions.
