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Why Canadian clinics keep health records out of email
Walk into almost any Canadian clinic and you will find a fax line in use, even in offices with a modern electronic medical record. Part of that is habit, but a lot of it is a deliberate choice to keep personal health information out of ordinary email. This guide from emailto-fax.ca explains the reasons and what clinics use instead.
Get Started NowProvincial health privacy laws set the bar
In Canada, health information is governed mostly by provincial law, for example PHIPA in Ontario and the Health Information Act in Alberta, alongside PIPEDA in some settings. These laws require custodians to protect records with reasonable safeguards and to answer for where the information goes.
They do not ban email. Some regulators and privacy commissioners have published guidance that allows email with patient consent and proper protections. But in practice, many clinics find it hard to meet that standard with everyday email and decide it is easier to avoid it for records.
The practical risks of email
Each of these can turn into a reportable privacy breach, which takes staff time and can damage patient trust.
- Misdirected messages: autocomplete picks a similar name and a lab result goes to the wrong person
- Copies everywhere: the sent folder, staff phones, backups and the recipient's mailbox
- Unclear encryption: you cannot always know how the recipient's server stores the message
- Personal accounts: patients and some providers use free email services the clinic cannot vet
- Weak audit trails: it is hard to show who opened or forwarded a message
Why fax is still the default between providers
Hospitals, labs, pharmacies and specialist offices across Canada still list fax numbers for referrals, requisitions and results. A fax goes to a known number at a known office, rather than to an individual's inbox. That predictability is a big part of its staying power, even as provinces work on digital alternatives.
What to tell patients who prefer email
Patients are used to email in every other part of life, so it helps to have a short, consistent answer at the front desk. Explain that the clinic sends records directly to other providers by fax because it goes to a known office line and is logged. If your clinic does offer email for some purposes, explain which ones and what consent is involved.
Many clinics also put a line about this on their website and intake forms, so the question comes up less often and staff do not have to improvise an answer.
A browser-based fax setup
Paper fax brings its own risks: pages left in trays and misdialled numbers. emailto-fax.ca recommends FaxToFax.com, which keeps the fax line but moves everything into a secure browser account. Records are never sent to email.
- Sign in with your email and a one-time code; turn on two-step verification.
- Assign roles so reception, clinicians and billing see only what they need.
- Send referrals and requisitions from the browser; each number is confirmed before sending.
- Receive results in a private encrypted inbox with in-app or browser alerts.
- Use the audit log and retention controls to show who viewed what and to purge old faxes on schedule.
Why Canadian Clinics Keep Records Out of Email: questions
Is it illegal for a Canadian clinic to email health records?
Not as a general rule. Provincial laws require reasonable safeguards, and some regulators allow email with consent and protections. Check the guidance from your province's privacy commissioner and your professional college.
Does FaxToFax.com support PHIPA?
It is built with safeguards for PHIPA and PIPEDA, including encryption in transit and at rest, an audit log and retention controls. Your clinic remains responsible for its own policies.
Can several staff share one fax inbox?
Yes, on the Business plan, which includes a shared inbox and five users, with more users available. Roles control what each person can do.
What if a patient asks us to email their records?
Follow your clinic's policy and your regulator's guidance on patient-requested email. Many clinics offer to fax records to another provider or provide copies by another approved method instead.
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