It’s 2020 and technology like VCRs, analogue TV and rotary phones are now obsolete, being replaced with smartphones, tablets and cloud storage.
The 2017 National Electronic Health Records Survey found 85.9% of office-based physicians in the United States are now using Electronic Medical Record (EMR) or Electronic Health Record (EHR) systems. Now, three years on in 2020, that figure is bound to have grown exponentially due to the global Coronavirus outbreak. The world has seen a major increase of digital communication use to connect with healthcare professionals, family and friends during lockdown periods.
The fax machine, on the other hand, which may be seen as an outdated relic by many – is still deeply embedded in the healthcare industry as a vital method of sending and receiving sensitive patient information.
A 2018 Becker’s Health IT Review article The role of the fax in the future of healthcare states that ‘many healthcare organisations are not yet ready to make the leap as 75 percent of US medical communication today happens via fax machine.’
With many countries around the world intent to put official deadlines on the phase out of the traditional fax machine in the healthcare industry, it’s time for you to get ahead of the curve and move to a trusted, online fax service. Here’s why.
Notifyre Provides Reliability, Security, and Privacy of Patient Information
Healthcare organisations need a document transfer method they can trust to be a reliable, secure and safe method to communicate sensitive protected health information (PHI) and electronic protected health information (ePHI).
At Notifyre, our multi-communications platform is relied upon worldwide by many healthcare organisations to securely send and receive faxes online. Because of this, we adhere to the standards of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA).
As a trusted HIPAA complaint online fax service, we ensure that all critical protected health information (PHI or electronic protected health information (ePHI) that is sent, received or stored is secure with advanced security protocols in place.
An online faxing service also allows for less security breaches due to human error. A 2020 article in Health IT Outcomes What is Cloud Faxing And Why Are More Healthcare Providers Using It? Says that ‘human error can trigger many security shortcomings...considering that healthcare providers typically use fax machines to transmit medical details, it’s easy to imagine what could go wrong if someone sends content to the incorrect fax number.’
To avoid these errors, Notifyre keeps an active log of all fax activity on your account. We also provide you with the ability to save frequent fax numbers into your address book, removing the requirement for you to manually input a recipient’s fax number each time you need to send a fax.
The Notifyre Platform is Readily Accessible to Anyone Who Needs to Send a Fax
Notifyre is a single hub for all your communication needs. It’s simple, easy to use and can be accessed from any device with an internet connection. Quickly send a fax via NotifyreDash, your email client or through our mobile and tablet app. Many Notifyre clients in the healthcare industry use Notifyre to send:
- Referrals to doctors and specialists
- Prescriptions for patients
- Patient information
- Information to insurance companies
- Appointment reminders and cancellation notifications
Increases Efficiency and Reliability in Your Current Processes
Efficiency and reliability for a communications platform are vital in the healthcare industry. Many healthcare organisations already have multiple systems they use that are not always compatible with each other, may not be reliable and have consistent technical issues.
The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) President Dr Harry Nespolon told Healthcare IT in their 2019 article To fax or not to fax? “Most organisations fail to consider the implications and costs for general practices to manage information transfers safely, reliably and efficiently. The inefficiencies of current processes creates a heavy burden on GPs, diverting their time away from providing essential medical care for patients.”
With Notifyre, you can implement our online fax features directly into your existing workflows with our powerful set of APIs. Our APIs enable seamless, easy integration with your current business applications, website and software.
This allows for you to see an instant increase in employee and patient satisfaction by decreasing patient wait times, lowering the amount of time employees and GPs spend on administrative work and increasing the quality of care for your patients.
Stop Using the Fax Machine and Start Using Notifyre
If you’re looking for an online fax solution for healthcare that will allow you to transmit sensitive patient information in a reliable, secure manner, look no further than Notifyre.
We meet the needs of healthcare organisations worldwide, without sacrificing the security of patient data.
