Introduction
Despite the push for electronic healthcare systems initiated during the Obama administration, fax remains ubiquitous for transferring sensitive patient information from one doctor to another, both inside and outside the facility. My experience with the facsimile machine was challenging. Fax felt like a remnant of the paper-based system; it often printed poorly, and the paper jammed. A few times, the connection was too busy, resulting in service delays.
Overall, one would think that in 2023, it would be entirely replaced by emails and EHS. Nevertheless, around 75% of all patient data communication is done through fax (Javaid & Haleem, 2019). The purpose of this paper is to examine the reasons why this service is still widely implemented.
The Use of Fax Machines in Modern Healthcare Facilities
There are two reasons why this outdated piece of technology is still utilized. First and foremost, it allows hospitals to keep their secrets (and their patients) from one another (Javaid & Haleem, 2019). Without a mandate to enforce both EHS and patient data sharing between hospitals, such facilities would never encourage customers to be able to choose between different healthcare providers, without placing significant hurdles in their path. The use of fax is one such hurdle, which is why healthcare organizations are sabotaging the widespread implementation of EHS.
The second reason (and the more legitimate one as far as patients are concerned) is that fax is far more secure against cyber attacks and data theft (Javaid & Haleem, 2019). At the same time, they are more vulnerable to conventional theft – having multiple physical copies circulate among doctors, to be later sent to the trash bin does not improve the security of these documents.
Conclusion
The truth of the matter is that fax machines are unnecessary, and the only reason keeping the EHS from becoming universal is corporate greed. If healthcare facilities had the patient’s interests in mind, they would not put these hurdles in the way of information sharing. Likewise, they would address their cybersecurity issues by investing in better equipment, firewalls, and training. Once the government mandates EHS and data sharing and forces hospitals to switch from fax to digital, EHS will replace the clunky, environmentally unfriendly, outdated facsimile machines.
Reference
Javaid, M., & Haleem, A. (2019). Industry 4.0 applications in the medical field: A brief review. Current Medicine Research and Practice, 9(3), 102-109.