Faxes

Faxes are a prevalent form of communication in ambulatory practices. This chapter outlines standards for fax management, workflows associated with managing fax communications, and transition to paperless or electronic fax (efax) technology.

• Process all incoming faxes within 1 business day of receipt.

• Review and record fax type and volume and develop a written plan that outlines:
  • Who should receive the fax
  • How they should receive it
  • If the fax will be filed, and if so, where and how
  • The turnaround time for task completion

• Develop a tracking and oversight plan that includes minimizing handoffs:
  • Document all fax numbers associated with your department and the location of corresponding fax machines.
  • Assign a person or a role (include backup) to check the fax machine(s) and route/distribute faxes.
  • Copy and retain all faxes for at least 1 week and record the types and quantities. Be sure to record faxes received in error.

• Ensure that fax cover sheets contain minimal protected health information (PHI), if any at all, and a confidentiality statement.

• Practices are expected to convert to an efax system, which requires a change in workflow (e.g., efax documents are sent to a shared inbox).
  • Submit a Help Desk ticket for efax setup.
  • Map out and document the setup of your practice’s incoming and outgoing efax management system.
  • Develop a standardized approach for each type of fax received.
  • Determine the destination of incoming efaxes (e.g., SFA, shared email).
  • Designate staff responsible for monitoring efaxes.
  • Consider how staff in different locations can support efax workflow and offer coverage.

• Determine whether to reduce or eliminate auto-generated faxes.