Managing health records is no small feat, especially in today’s highly digital age. Back in the olden days, it was rather easy and more straightforward. Patient information and all relevant details were recorded on actual paper charts and then kept inside a bulky filing cabinet for safe storage. Today, the landscape of medical records looks completely different.
While the digitalization of hospital and medical healthcare records proves to bring more convenience, especially in terms of sharing and transmission, it’s not one without any drawbacks. One of the major issues is it is more susceptible to breaches and hacks.
One of the most effective ways to prevent such incidents from happening is to find the best hospital fax software to ensure maximum protection of your data. But how do you exactly know which one is the best when there are hundreds of fax service providers out there in the market today?
Luckily, we can help you out with that. We have devised for you a one-stop guide to help you choose the right hospital fax software.
Table of Contents
- How is fax used in healthcare?
- What fax software do most hospitals use?
- What are the important elements to look for in hospital fax software?
How is fax used in healthcare?
Faxing might seem like an old and outdated technology, but millions of professionals, the majority of whom are from the healthcare and medical industry, still heavily rely on this communication tool to share and transmit medical records.
As you may know, any information pertaining to one’s health status and medical background is protected by HIPAA. HIPAA oversees and makes sure that any highly sensitive data of patients never fall into the wrong and unauthorized hands.
Among the communication tools that HIPAA allows usage is faxing. The main reason why it’s the most preferred medium in the said industry is because of its security features. Nowadays, many online fax solutions companies have designed their hospital fax software to thwart any threats. They are also built to comply with federal regulations such as HIPAA and GLBA. On top of that, faxing is one of the few communication tools that is admissible in court. Emails and such are still not recognized by the court of law.
Of course, when using online fax to share any files and documents with confidential contents, you still need to apply all the best and safest practices, just as an added layer of protection.
What fax software do most hospitals use?
Not all hospital fax software is created the same and equal. It sill varies from one provider to another. Also, it’s important to take into account that each healthcare and medical company have their own sets of requirements and preferred specs and features. So what may be right for them may not necessarily be the right fit for you as well.
It’s highly essential that you first look into your organization’s needs. Carefully assess and note how you would like online faxing to help you improve your process, and take it from there. The best hospital software for you is the one that can provide you with all that you need and more.
What are the important elements to look for in hospital fax software?
Generally speaking, there are five important elements that you need to look for when you are in the market for hospital fax software. We will dissect and discuss all of them in great detail.
Security and Privacy
The safety and security of your data should be put at the forefront of your search for the best hospital fax software. Even though online faxing solutions are typically safer compared to other mediums of communication, the security measures vary from one provider to another.
Your standard should be 256-bit end-to-end encryption. This will give you a complete sense of security that when you share PHI and other important records, it will be done so in the most well-guarded manner.
And as mentioned previously, choose the provider that designed a hospital fax software that complies with HIPAA. This is non-negotiable.
Scalability
When choosing and integrating any kind of system and software into your organization, another important factor that you need to look into is their ability to grow with your company or how easily can it grow with you.
What does their scalability look like? How easy would it be to transition to a bigger and better software should the need arise? What are the costs involved if you need to upgrade your hospital fax software should your faxing needs increase in volume?
Speed and Efficiency
Another very important factor to take into consideration is the speed and efficiency of the hospital fax software. Being in the healthcare and medical industry, you sometimes need to send medical records and files with the greatest sense of urgency. You cannot have a system bug down when you need it the most. Sending and receiving faxes should always be seamless and hassle-free.
Document Management System
One of the advantages of having reliable hospital fax software is going paperless in healthcare as files are being transmitted digitally. In turn, you will no longer have to worry about amassing a ridiculous amount of hard copies of documents. Everything is already stored in the cloud storage that may come with your plan or as an add-on. See to it that you check how much data storage you can take advantage of.
Also, most providers have a retention policy wherein the hospital fax software will routinely clean up the storage, effectively deleting some files. This is very vital as you do not want to lose any documents without having the chance to back everything up.
Cross-Platform Faxing
Your hospital fax software should be compatible with any device you prefer to use., no matter the operating system or manufacturer. Online faxing now allows users to turn their mobile phones, tablets, and laptops into a fax machine. Check your chosen provider if they have this feature. Otherwise, search the market for others.
And there you have it. These are just five of the most important elements that you need to look for when choosing the best hospital fax software for your organization. Be sure to keep all this information in mind when you make your pick.
Still undecided? Have a quick look at iFax!
Having been in the industry for more than a decade and with over five million happy customers, iFax remains one of the most reliable providers of online fax solutions among healthcare and pharmaceutical companies.
iFax offers the lowest cost of online faxing in the market today. Start faxing for as low as one cent per page with no other fees required. You can also enjoy all their amazing features such as 256-bit end-to-end encryption, easy e-signature integration, the ability to choose your own local or toll-free fax number, 24/7/365 customer service support, email to fax capabilities, cross-platform integration, and so much more!
Sign up today and experience all the amazing features iFax offers.
