The technology behind faxing may be different in 2022 than it was 50 years ago, but it’s still a very common means of sending large documents, especially in healthcare settings. There’s no need to maintain a legacy fax machine since it’s now possible to use online faxing services to send and receive messages via email or web portals. Unfortunately, though, not all digital fax solutions are created equal.
Digital Faxing and HIPAA Compliance
Anyone working for an organization that handles sensitive patient data knows how important it is to be HIPAA-compliant. The chances are good that they’ve also heard how much easier it is to meet the Act’s strict data privacy and security regulations when sending faxes instead of emails. Even in 2022, email servers suffer from a notorious lack of adequate cybersecurity features.
It’s perfectly possible to ensure HIPAA compliance when sending faxes online, but not all digital fax software is secure. For anyone in the medical industry, avoiding free fax services is a must.
Free Digital Fax Services Offer No Compliance Guarantees
Free faxing services generally haven’t signed business associate agreements, which puts them firmly out of the running for the transmission of any sensitive health information. HIPAA requires healthcare organizations to guarantee the security of personal data not just when it’s in their possession but also while it’s in transit, which requires working with a service provider that follows HIPAA’s Security Rule.
Data Breaches Can Leave Healthcare Organizations Liable
If a third-party faxing service hasn’t signed a business associate contract, that leaves the healthcare organization liable for any breaches of patient privacy that occur while the data is in the service provider’s proverbial hands. Given the sometimes extreme consequences of HIPAA violations, it’s not worth the risk of transmitting protected information via unsecured channels.
When healthcare organizations work with online faxing services that are willing to sign HIPAA business associate agreements, the data transmitted to and from the facility via digital faxes is guaranteed to be secure. HIPAA-compliant online faxing services take multiple measures to guarantee data security, including:
- End-to-end encryption
- Secure socket layer protocols
- User authentications
- Audit trails
- Advanced data center security
The combined effect of these safeguards is to protect patient information whenever it’s in the fax service’s possession. In the unlikely event that the advanced security measures taken to protect patient data fail to prevent a data breach, the healthcare facility sending or receiving the data is less likely to be held liable, as well. Business associates who have signed official agreements are legally responsible for following HIPAA rules, which include protecting against data breaches.
Paid Services Offer More Features
Paying for a HIPAA-compliant online faxing service plan doesn’t just protect patient data. It also gives users access to a wealth of added features such as the ability to receive faxes via email, send large files, and integrate with existing fax systems. Data transmission failures are also far less likely to occur when organizations partner with reputable digital fax services.
It’s Not Worth the Risk
The only real benefit of using a free digital faxing service is that it doesn’t cost any money. Compared to the potential fines and reputational damage that could come from a loss of protected health information, the small monthly fee charged by HIPAA-compliant fax services is next to nothing. Using free fax services is not worth the risk to an organization’s reputation and bottom line.
