eComFax® Use Case
Overview
The communications that take place in the healthcare sector involve the transmission of patients' clinical data in the form of diagnoses, test or treatment results and medical prescriptions, which can be sent between different actors in this sector, such as clinics, insurers, or the patients themselves. The nature of this data and the violation of privacy involved in its exposure has forced governments in different countries or communities to establish strict regulations to regulate its transmission, such as, for example, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act in the United States, better known as HIPAA.
Talk to an expertChallenge
Among other requirements of these regulations, which non-compliance can lead to heavy fines or even criminal prosecution in the most serious cases, are that the transmission must be secure and that the data must remain encrypted at all times, that they must be traceable and that a certain period of custody can be required. There are even more particularities, such as those of HIPAA, that require faxes to have a cover page that includes a legal notice to conceal private data in the event that the recipient is not the correct one; the obligation to sign privacy agreements between the parties (Business Associate Agreement), such as a communications provider and a medical clinic; or the obligation to ensure that the recipient's contact details are correct.
The only method of transmitting documents containing medical data that meets these conditions is the virtual fax, as the traditional fax can present vulnerabilities, such as documents being left uncovered on the machine waiting to be picked up, which can be intercepted by outsiders, thus violating privacy and regulations.
Solution
Fortunately, traditional fax has evolved into virtual fax services such as eComFax®, which ensure encryption and security in transmission and storage, allowing the custody period to be configured to meet regulatory custody deadlines. It is also possible to establish detailed traceability for correspondence and control access to the service.
eComFax® includes fax types such as SecureFax®, which is the mode of delivery that complies with regulations such as HIPAA and requires the recipient to register with eComFax® to view the content. In addition, services such as eComFax® have the option to send SMS, which is especially useful for reminding patients of appointments. eComFax® goes even further, allowing you to send and receive faxes in a secure and controlled way through the platform, your email or from Webex®.
Also, eComFax® can be easily integrated into electronic medical record management software, such as the EMR Electronic medical record (EMR) Systems in the United States, via API, allowing physicians to simplify their operative.
Results
Virtual fax services such as eComFax® provide the healthcare sector with a communication method adapted to its needs, while allowing them to comply with the security requirements required by regulations, ensuring an ethical performance. Not only providing them with the eComFax® solution not only gives them full control of their communications, but also a tool that is easy to use, efficient and low-cost, and whose installation is quick and painless, allowing an effective digital transition.