Fax-over-IP technology
isn't free of challenges – like interoperability problems between networking systems and devices. But it’s hot right now for helping healthcare organizations improve their quality of service and protect patient privacy.
Portland, Ore.-based FaxBack – which
unveiled its VoIP Fax ATA and announced the device’s beta program for carriers at
ITEXPO West, in Los Angeles – said its technology is helping multiple medical organizations facilitate HIPAA requirements.
The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act – better known as HIPAA – took effect in 1996. It is designed to protect the privacy of individually identifiable health information. As part of the regulation, healthcare organizations must maintain copies of all fax correspondence as part of their regular compliance policies.
“The ability for faxes sent from a fax machine to be automatically archived is important for HIPAA because it helps users in the healthcare space meet compliance regulations,” Quentin Dible, FaxBack’s vice president of operations, told HealthTechZone. “Right now, if a user has to send a fax that must be archived, there are several steps involved, which can be complicated and prone to errors.”
In addition to supporting previously unsupported features like fax archiving and e-mail notifications, FaxBack's new HTTPS-based fax ATA is reportedly more secure, sporting easy firewall/NAT traversal capabilities.
So far FaxBack has deployed its fax server “solutions” into a number of healthcare organizations, Dible said. These include Magellan Health Services, New York City Health and Hospitals Corp and Omnicell Medical Solutions.
It’s not that such organizations aren’t using fax technology already.
But without FoIP, errors are more likely: First, the user must print and sign the document, fax through the machine, scan the document in a scanner and save it in the right format and location.
The company told HealthTechZone during IPEXPO week that the issues associated with connecting fax machines via SIP T.38-based ATAs still pose a serious challenge for carriers seeking to migrate their internet connected customers to VoIP.
“Our new HTTPS-based fax solution addresses this challenge,” said Mike Oliszewski, co-founder and CTO for FaxBack, in a press release. “We invite service providers and enterprises of all sizes to contact us to learn more about our new HTTPS Fax ATA program.”
Marisa Torrieri is a HealthTechZone Editor. To read more of her articles, please visit her columnist page.Edited by
Marisa Torrieri
