June 2018 update: The healthcare industry's slow transition from paper records to electronic health record (EHR) systems is helping keep the online fax service business alive. Because many healthcare providers have been slow to meaningfully adopt EHRs, even the most tech savvy must often communicate with the luddites of the industry. That usually means using fax machines.
Privacy regulations mean that transmitting sensitive information about patients through unsecured channels is illegal. Faxing, however, is considered an acceptably secure medium for communicating, so those healthcare providers that have not adopted digital records systems that can communicate with others are often using paper and fax.
Meaningful Use Stage III standards for healthcare providers, which are effective this year, are aimed at improving communication between EHR systems. However, until adoption of these systems is complete and properly implemented, it looks like faxing will remain a common theme in the healthcare industry.
Check out our best online fax service picks below.
Online fax services have largely supplanted the old fax machines and, along with them, maintenance costs and user frustration. For just a small monthly subscription cost, online fax services replace and enhance the functions performed by the old office fax machine. By digitizing faxing, organizations engage in more secure document transmission, establish a digital archive of sent and received faxes, and make the process simpler and quicker.
This guide will introduce you to the online fax service industry, as well as some of our best picks, which include eFax, MetroFax, HelloFax and Sfax. Every organization's faxing needs are different; some need to receive more faxes, while others send more. Some organizations, like medical practices, also require a higher level of security than others.
Whatever your needs, our comprehensive list of online fax services will help you get acquainted with some of the major players in the industry, and our pricing and negotiations sections can guide you through the selection process.
