02 Sep Fax in Healthcare: why medical practices still use it and how online fax meets HIPAA requirements
It’s a fact: in American healthcare, fax is an invariable part of everyday document flow. Facilities use it in a variety of ways, from sending referrals, test results and patient records to transmitting important information between doctors and insurers.
While this solution may seem more like a bygone era of technology – the truth is that its presence has specific reasons and we’ll discuss them in more detail here.
- Why do healthcare facilities still use fax?
- What makes online fax HIPAA compliant?
- Why are encryption and an audit trail so important?
Compatibility, staff familiarity and fax-based procedures – let’s delve into the phenomenon of fax use in 2026.
Why do healthcare facilities still use fax?
Compatibility is paramount. Fax allows documents to be transferred between different systems without the need to integrate electronic medical records or reconcile file formats.
What does this mean for a practice? It certainly provides a simple way to contact another facility, whether it’s a laboratory, pharmacy, or insurer.
Continuity of procedures is second. Since for years, referrals and patient information were transmitted by fax, changing the process requires employee training and updating document workflow policies. This is why many medical facilities continue to rely on solutions that maintain familiar workflows. An example is mFax – which allows online faxing without relying on a traditional device for the entire process.
What makes online fax HIPAA compliant?
It’s important to emphasize that the mere ability to send a document online does not guarantee HIPAA compliance. The facility must verify how the provider protects protected health information (PHI), manages access and documents operations performed within the system. A Business Associate Agreement (BAA) is a crucial element. If the provider processes PHI on behalf of a HIPAA-covered entity, the agreement outlines their data protection obligations. Encryption, user authentication, permissions control and infrastructure security also require attention.
Why are encryption and an audit trail so important?
Fax security doesn’t end with transmission. Furthermore, the system should limit access to documents to authorized users and enable the detection of irregularities. An audit trail, which records events related to the document, is particularly important here.
Data encryption during transmission and storage, authentication and account and permission control should be tested in practice. This includes all procedures related to backups, data retention and incident response.
HIPAA isn’t limited to having a specific application. Compliance requires a combination of technical security measures, appropriate agreements and organizational procedures – all of which are important.
Last Updated on September 2, 2026 by Marie Benz MD FAAD