When first enacted, the legislation left many healthcare providers scrambling to comply with regulations regarding sensitive patient information. Over the years, complying with the legislation has become easier, but no organization can become complacent.
Failing to comply with any regulation can lead to hefty fines and damage to the organization's reputation. In addition, a failure to comply could result in license revocation. How can a healthcare organization ensure it remains HIPAA-compliant when sending faxes? The following guide provides more about HIPAA faxing and what it entails.
What is a HIPAA-Compliant Fax?
Healthcare providers send multiple faxes each day. Every fax that contains any personal health information falls under HIPAA regulations. This means the information must be secured. Any leak of confidential information could result in disastrous consequences.
Encryption helps to safeguard the information. This is important, as a breach could occur at various points in the transmission, including during document storage. End-to-end encryption protects the document at every stage of the process.
Why Digital Faxes?
A person may want to know who digital faxing serves as the best option. When information is sent this way, the provider encrypts it. This ensures only those authorized parties are able to read the material even if someone who doesn't have authorization receives the document. This encryption isn't available when using a traditional fax machine.
There is no need to print hard copies of the document, as they are stored in a central repository. This means there is less risk of patient health information being handled improperly. In addition, encryption prevents cybercriminals from installing malware and gaining access to the information, which is a concern with conventional fax machines.
The Importance of HIPAA-Compliant Faxes
The privacy of patients remains the primary goal of digital faxing. However, healthcare organizations also need to worry about fines and penalties if they fail to comply with HIPAA regulations. This doesn't even take into account the damage a violation will do to the organization's reputation.
Meeting HIPAA Requirements
Healthcare providers must remain compliant both when sending and receiving faxes. When sending a fax, the healthcare professional must ensure the fax provider offers the necessary level of security and encryption. A failure to encrypt documents may be seen as a HIPAA violation, even if the other party was at fault.
Medical professionals must also verify the destination of the fax. Sending information to the wrong number constitutes a data breach and violation of HIPAA regulations. A cover sheet should be included to hide sensitive information, and healthcare professionals need to choose their partners carefully to ensure they remain HIPAA compliant.
When receiving a fax, the healthcare provider needs to use encrypted cloud storage. A hard copy of the document should never be received, as this increases the risk of the information being stolen or mishandled.
Furthermore, the provider can establish permissions for users within the organization. This ensures only those who are authorized to see sensitive patient health information do so.
Cloud storage allows documents to be downloaded and stored immediately. The recipient won't need to use unsecured information when retrieving the fax, which also increases security. Work with a fax provider that offers HIPAA-compliant options to ensure data security.
Penalties and Fines
Penalties for non-compliance with HIPAA remain high. One infraction can cost up to $50,000, and the provider and their employees could face criminal charges. The reputational damage is costly, as well. It could lead to a loss of clients, damage to relationships with partners, and more.
Who Does HIPAA Apply to?
When a person thinks of HIPAA, they think of the healthcare industry. However, any business that works in this industry is subject to the same regulations. This may be an attorney working on a medical case, a pharmacy, or an insurance provider.
Any business that handles medical information is subject to HIPAA. Nevertheless, any business that deals with sensitive information need to ensure data is handled correctly when faxed.
Are All Digital Fax Services Compliant with HIPAA?
Not all fax services are HIPAA compliant. For this reason, every organization that must comply with these regulations will need to choose its fax provider carefully. When making the choice of fax provider, learn which measures it has put into place to ensure it complies with this legislation
If people will use the service with their mobile devices, ensure the mobile app offers the same level of encryption. In addition, healthcare professionals must ensure they scan their devices regularly for viruses, malware, and other threats that could compromise security. These simple steps help to keep sensitive patient health information private while ensuring the provider remains in compliance with HIPAA.
Digital Fax Options and Audits
Healthcare providers often need to conduct audits to show they are in compliance with various regulations. The use of a HIPAA-compliant provider makes this task easier as it relates to faxes.
There is a documented trail that can be followed. Documents can be retrieved easily, and all information related to fax is stored in the system. This makes it easy to answer any questions the auditor may have.
Why Make the Switch to Digital HIPAA-Compliant Fax?
A business finds there are several benefits associated with digital fax solutions beyond those mentioned above. It no longer needs to invest in paper and toner for use with the fax machine, so costs decrease. In addition, a digital fax machine doesn't need to be maintained beyond regular maintenance of the computer or mobile device.
Users can send and receive faxes wherever they have internet access, and documents may be retrieved while on the go. The business won't need to pay for storage space either, as the documents are held in the cloud. Furthermore, the storage is HIPAA compliant, so the business doesn't have this added expense.
Learn more about HIPAA-compliant fax options today. Healthcare providers who do so find the use of this service to simplify operations. This allows more time for patient care, which is why they went into the field in the first place.
