Does Cloud Faxing Include HIPPA Compliance?

HIPAA defines all requirements for transmitting and securing medical information. The regulations outline measures to protect the client's privacy and prevent any unethical use of their data. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services issues new standards as regulations update. Any organization that sends faxes or transmits health information must use security measures, cover letters, and encryption. HIPAA compliance is available with cloud faxing services.

Choose a Secure Online Faxing Service

Cloud faxing services offer tools and features for convenience and ease of use. Healthcare organizations, like hospitals, private practices, and nursing homes, send medical data all the time. Using cloud faxing makes things easier, and other organizations, like the Social Security Administration, get medical files faster. Faxing services aren't the same, and any violation of federal regulations can lead to penalties.

Medical facility administrators review cloud faxing features. Organizations look elsewhere if the service provider won't guarantee HIPAA compliance. Examine the specifications of cloud services offered by mFax and see how they protect organizations against HIPPA compliance issues.

Review HIPAA Requirements

A HIPAA-approved cover letter statement is required for all medical data. Office workers need a fast warning about the content of cloud faxes with a cover letter. Printed on the fax are the recipient's name, the date, and the fax number of their organization. Sender information must be visible too. There are protocols in place at all medical organizations to keep data from being accessed by unauthorized parties.

Cloud faxing, for example, sends faxes to the recipient's user account. The service providers create user accounts based on authorizations and permissions. Unauthorized employees can't view these records, and these practices protect patients' privacy rights.

With cloud services, organizations can control the data, keep the information private, and avoid the limitations of traditional fax machines. Using a fax machine allows all employees to see incoming faxes, and the workers violate HIPAA regulations. Faxing from the cloud sends all the pages at once rather than loading pages one by one.

How to Apply HIPAA Cover Letters

A cloud faxing service has easy-to-use cover letter templates. The templates include the HIPAA statement, and employees can make cover letters in seconds. Cloud faxing displays a prompt asking if the user wants a cover letter. They scroll through their options and pick the right cover letter. The preferred cover letter applies to the fax instantly and appears in the fax records, and organization administrators can confirm that the cover letter was transmitted with the medical records.

Securing Fax Records

Incoming and outgoing faxes are stored in the cloud. Medical workers must have appropriate permissions and authorizations to view medical files stored on the cloud. Federal regulations restrict access to medical records for workers according to their role in patient care, clinical trials, and services related to government contracts. For example, government-funded clinical trial data is available to medical professionals permitted to work on the projects.

Health care organizations can fax medical records and data ethically with HIPAA-compliant faxing. The federal regulations require a cover letter that contains a HIPAA statement. Cloud faxing opens up a safe network by sending documents to secure company user accounts. By eliminating traditional fax machines, medical organizations prevent unauthorized viewing.

A traditional fax machine prints one page at a time, and office workers can see it. In addition, cybercriminals won't be able to steal medical information with cloud faxing. The cloud designs have end-to-end encryption. Learn how to send and protect medical files with cloud faxing.

This article does not necessarily reflect the opinions of the editors or management of EconoTimes