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Faxes are used because they are __exempt__ (not secure) and really easy since the UI is simple. Contrast this with any method at all of trying to shove a docum
by mjevans 5y ago
Faxes are used because they are __exempt__ (not secure) and really easy since the UI is simple.
Contrast this with any method at all of trying to shove a document over the Internet, which will invariably result in something like a scanned attachment email of a PDF that bloats the mail queue and ends up in legal archives and inboxes forever causing problems.
Yes, we've all dreamed of better ways, but that's just like the XKCD standards comic ( https://xkcd.com/927/ https://xkcd.com/927/ ) and ultimately all solutions will require user training and effort.
- cm2012 5y agoEvery other industry, even old school ones, uses email and digital filing just fine. It's only hard for medical organizations because of HIPAA.
- mjevans 5y agoThey likely do use them, and get work done, and from a productivity standpoint might be faster without the red tape. Discussions like this make me wonder if as a society we'd be better off not trying to perform the impossible: have OpSec that is flawless and never leaks data that might be misused; but to not allow the misuse to happen. Medical information misuse touches at least the topics of discrimination, selecting victims of misinformation campaigns, exposing personal issues and preferences (E.G. did someone get an abortion; is a topic ripe for abuse, as are medical histories related to other issues.) Living in a glass house is far from ideal, but in a world where individual rights are better defined and protected, data security could be more standard.