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Started By
Message
Why are fax machines still commonly used in certain industries?
Posted on 10/28/15 at 10:17 am
Posted on 10/28/15 at 10:17 am
In the last week, I've been at the mercy of fax machines in both the health care and financial matters.
Yesterday, I waited the entire day to schedule a procedure, and am still waiting today because a fax was not received. Nurse says I sent it five times, sometimes it was busy so I sent again, etc. Back and forth, I sent it, I never received it again and again. I'm planning to leave work (i'm posting here so why not) and delivering it by hand.
Last week I needed to make a change on a life insurance policy with a major, international financial institution and again was tripped up by a fax machine in various ways and ended up spending about 3 hours ensuring a fax was received.
You hear other examples as well, such as the NFL and Elvis Dumervil missing a contract extension and signing with another team because fax machine didn't work. Recruits in college fax in their commitment letters.
First world problems...I get it, and my intent is not complain, but why is this technology still relied up to the extent in 2015? Is it safety? How is an encrypted email safer than my tax returns and medical records safe sitting loose on some random machine?
Yesterday, I waited the entire day to schedule a procedure, and am still waiting today because a fax was not received. Nurse says I sent it five times, sometimes it was busy so I sent again, etc. Back and forth, I sent it, I never received it again and again. I'm planning to leave work (i'm posting here so why not) and delivering it by hand.
Last week I needed to make a change on a life insurance policy with a major, international financial institution and again was tripped up by a fax machine in various ways and ended up spending about 3 hours ensuring a fax was received.
You hear other examples as well, such as the NFL and Elvis Dumervil missing a contract extension and signing with another team because fax machine didn't work. Recruits in college fax in their commitment letters.
First world problems...I get it, and my intent is not complain, but why is this technology still relied up to the extent in 2015? Is it safety? How is an encrypted email safer than my tax returns and medical records safe sitting loose on some random machine?
This post was edited on 10/28/15 at 10:23 am
21
Posted on 10/28/15 at 10:18 am to ChunkyLover54
I've had people tell me they are more secure than email
Posted on 10/28/15 at 10:19 am to ChunkyLover54
Some industries still require physically signed documents. It's a slow changing world.
Posted on 10/28/15 at 10:20 am to ChunkyLover54
quote:
health care
This.
Posted on 10/28/15 at 10:20 am to ChunkyLover54
I agree. Multi national insurance companies (State Farm), will not allow their employees to accept documents via email. I'm stuck sending 400 page faxes and tying up my fax line for 6 hours.
Posted on 10/28/15 at 10:23 am to Motorboat
docusign bro.
i bought my house, sold my old one & reworked home & auto insurance from my desk at work.
the only thing i had to do was sign about 7 papers during closing. 30 minutes done. i still even had time to grab lunch afterward & not be late for work.
i bought my house, sold my old one & reworked home & auto insurance from my desk at work.
the only thing i had to do was sign about 7 papers during closing. 30 minutes done. i still even had time to grab lunch afterward & not be late for work.
This post was edited on 10/28/15 at 10:23 am
Posted on 10/28/15 at 10:28 am to yellowfin
quote:
I've had people tell me they are more secure than email
It is...
Posted on 10/28/15 at 10:30 am to Motorboat
I would also say that it is just organizational inertia. The idea of figuring out how to implement a new technology versus just sticking with the old ways. They won't change until companies stop manufacturing fax machines and then they will still probably look at flat bed scanners and fax software.
Hell, I had to do some retirement documents with the federal government recently. They only accept mailed in documents. No faxes, no email, no phone calls. It was absolutely ludicrous. Took me eight weeks to get a single question answered.
Hell, I had to do some retirement documents with the federal government recently. They only accept mailed in documents. No faxes, no email, no phone calls. It was absolutely ludicrous. Took me eight weeks to get a single question answered.
Posted on 10/28/15 at 10:30 am to klrstix
true story.
a friend of mine got pissed at his former employeer and hooked his mac (with fax card) up to a random phoneline and faxed 1500 pages of solid black to them.
burned the fax machine out in less than 100.
a friend of mine got pissed at his former employeer and hooked his mac (with fax card) up to a random phoneline and faxed 1500 pages of solid black to them.
burned the fax machine out in less than 100.
Posted on 10/28/15 at 10:31 am to Motorboat
quote:I email State Farm daily. I do love fax though. Lots of reason for it to still be in use. I know of some penalty claims that would not exist if fax would have been used instead of email.
I agree. Multi national insurance companies (State Farm), will not allow their employees to accept documents via email. I'm stuck sending 400 page faxes and tying up my fax line for 6 hours.
Posted on 10/28/15 at 11:01 am to ChunkyLover54
Because a faxed document with a cover sheet is a HIPAA compliant means of communication.
Most other non-encrypted digital communication is accessible to hacking and falls outside requirements for protecting patient data.
So we're left with snail mail, the future promise of interoperability between EMRs (will never happen on a national scale), and a stupid arse fax machine.
Out patient have a portal they can use to upload and send us documents, but new patient referrals and info generally come via fax b/c other practices don't have the capability to communicate with my EMR. At least the fax servers have become better and integrated into our EMR, but that doesn't really help you...the patient.
Most other non-encrypted digital communication is accessible to hacking and falls outside requirements for protecting patient data.
So we're left with snail mail, the future promise of interoperability between EMRs (will never happen on a national scale), and a stupid arse fax machine.
Out patient have a portal they can use to upload and send us documents, but new patient referrals and info generally come via fax b/c other practices don't have the capability to communicate with my EMR. At least the fax servers have become better and integrated into our EMR, but that doesn't really help you...the patient.
Posted on 10/28/15 at 11:04 am to ChunkyLover54
(no message)
This post was edited on 3/7/16 at 7:56 pm
Posted on 10/28/15 at 11:06 am to AlxTgr
I am behind in my technology, but I fax about 4 times a week. I would rather stick it on a fax and hit a button and leave, versus put it on the same machine, scan, save file, attach and send to an email address.
Hell, I still have customers that don't have email, so it is necessary to fax some things.
Hell, I still have customers that don't have email, so it is necessary to fax some things.
Posted on 10/28/15 at 11:10 am to ChunkyLover54
quote:
Last week I needed to make a change on a life insurance policy with a major, international financial institution
Some pretty major ones I work with daily want everything faxed and get all pissy if I send things over email. I don't get it.
Posted on 10/28/15 at 11:13 am to MSMHater
quote:
Because a faxed document with a cover sheet is a HIPAA compliant means of communication.
Most other non-encrypted digital communication is accessible to hacking and falls outside requirements for protecting patient data.
This exactly. That being said, I hate still having to support fax at the office.
Posted on 10/28/15 at 11:17 am to ChunkyLover54
Security and it's a hard copy with confirmations.
Posted on 10/28/15 at 11:19 am to jdd48
quote:
I hate still having to support fax at the office.
You can use myfax and it all comes through email.
Posted on 10/28/15 at 11:21 am to tigerfoot
quote:
I would rather stick it on a fax and hit a button and leave
thats not very HIPAA compliant
Posted on 10/28/15 at 11:23 am to CAD703X
i work in tech and had a sales rep asked me a few weeks ago if he could get my fax number b.c he wanted to fax me a proposal. I lol'd
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