Chaos caused by fax ban in healthcare: The solution is so close

Since the beginning of January, health data may no longer be sent by fax in Austria, as regulated by the new Health Telematics Act (GTelG). However, instead of relying on an obvious solution, the ban has caused outright communication chaos. Results and referrals are now sometimes transmitted by courier, USB sticks, or other improvised means, as recent media reports show. While emails have long been standard in all other industries, complex new systems are being discussed in medicine – even though a simple, secure solution already exists: encrypted emails. While email has served as the primary means of communication in the corporate sector for decades, the healthcare sector has lagged behind in terms of digitalization. One of the main reasons is the long tradition of the fax machine, which until recently was considered the officially recognized means of communication. Many doctors and hospitals also shy away from IT solutions that seem expensive and complicated. “It’s a paradox: While everyone is looking for new solutions, the simplest one has long been available. Emails are standard in every industry. Why not in medicine too?” asks Robert Sonnleitner, founder of zertmail. “Instead of introducing complex and expensive portals, doctors and health insurance companies could switch to emails: only securely encrypted.”

Old habits instead of digitalization Instead of leveraging existing, proven technology, new isolated solutions and closed systems are being discussed, the adoption of which still leaves much to be desired, and which still need to be tested to determine whether they even fully meet the requirements of the Health Telematics Act. Many physicians are not yet registered on the newly developed portals, so a reliable standard solution remains lacking. However, everyone already has a viable alternative: email. Encrypted emails have long been a proven standard in other sensitive areas such as finance or legal matters. Communication chaos due to the fax ban The sudden ban on faxing has led to significant problems in the healthcare system. While digital solutions are slowly being introduced, many practices and hospitals are resorting to makeshift solutions that are neither efficient nor secure. For example, medical reports are being delivered to patients via USB stick or even transported by courier. These improvised methods demonstrate the urgent need for a secure yet simple means of communication. Email encryption: The pragmatic solution for healthcare With email encryption providers like zertmail., healthcare providers and health insurance companies can easily send sensitive data via email, securely encrypted and without the need for complicated additional systems. The solution works with all common email clients and uses digital S/MIME certificates. Unlike many other solutions, zertmail. guarantees not only the confidentiality but also the integrity of the data, ensuring that emails are not only protected but also arrive unchanged. Some physicians, hospital operators, and government agencies are already relying on this proven technology. Instead of developing new, costly standalone solutions, there is a much simpler solution to the current communication chaos in the healthcare sector: encrypt emails. With providers like zertmail., this is possible without much effort – securely, efficiently, and at low cost.