HIPAA Radiology Fax Cover Sheet

Here are some points related to the role of faxing in radiology:

1. Auto-Faxing Imaging Reports: When a report is transcribed and then verified by the dictating radiologist, the radiology information system will automatically fax the result report to the referring physician.
2. Quick Transfer of Patient-Specific Information: Fax communication is still commonplace in hospitals because it allows physicians to quickly transfer patient-specific information to one another at the point of care.
3. Meeting HIPAA Standards: Healthcare providers prefer to send protected information by fax, and radiology practices must meet HIPAA standards when managing thousands of medical faxes.
4. OCR Technology: OCR technology can capture pertinent information from faxed records, such as patient name, date of birth, or physician name, for importation into electronic health records.
5. Secure and Convenient: Faxing into the EHR system is fast, familiar, convenient, and secure. Not all people who need access to private health records can be on the same system, so faxing is still a preferred method of communication.
6. Clinical Faxing: Radiologists can compose and send a clinical fax that automatically references a patient's summary.

Overall, faxing plays an important role in radiology by allowing for the quick and secure transfer of patient-specific information between physicians and practices. While new technologies and developments may impact the use of faxing in the future, it remains a critical form of communication for radiologists and other healthcare providers.

Security and privacy are important considerations when it comes to faxing in radiology. Here are some points related to security and privacy in radiology faxing:

1. Secure Fax Machines: All fax machines must be located in a secure area away from the public, patients, and most healthcare workers. The first page of the fax should always be a disclaimer indicating what to do if the fax is sent to a wrong number.
2. Meeting HIPAA Standards: Radiology practices must meet HIPAA standards when managing thousands of medical faxes. Healthcare providers prefer to send protected information by fax, and University Radiology used onsite fax machines to manage these medical paperwork.
3. Electronic Medical Information Security: Radiology professionals are working to safeguard medical images and patient information through groups like the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) and American College of Radiology (ACR). They recognize the many benefits of digital medical imaging and electronic health information and are working to eliminate risks.
4. HIPAA Compliance: Faxes are not usually HIPAA compliant, and it is important to enforce HIPAA and privacy security policies when faxing health records. Centralizing services and enabling healthcare staff to send and receive faxes confidentially from email and other desktop, EMR, Ancillary, and back-office applications can help enforce HIPAA compliance.
5. Opportunities to Better Manage Faxing: Healthcare leaders and IT specialists should consider opportunities to better manage faxing and reduce risks, such as breaches in security and privacy. They can take the time to understand an organization's clinical workflows around fax and find ways to improve the process.