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Fax machines are old. They’re susceptible to privacy breaches. But the N.W.T. health-care system still relies on them, and the health minister says that’s not about to change.<\/p>\n
An early version of the fax (short for “facsimile”) was invented in\u00a01843, and the technology would later become widespread in offices in the 1980s and ’90s \u2014 before email came along. <\/p>\n
Now, as much as the N.W.T. government might want to move away from the aging technology, doing so isn\u2019t so simple.<\/p>\n
Health Minister Lesa Semmler was asked earlier this month in the legislative assembly about when the territory might be ready to say goodbye to fax machines. <\/p>\n
She replied that faxes are still commonly used across Canada for sharing information across jurisdictions. <\/p>\n
\u201cFaxing is expected to continue to play a role for the foreseeable future, particularly where connectivity and limitation exists,” she said. <\/p>\n
Faxes are a \u2018bridge\u2019 in the N.W.T.<\/p>\n
The territorial Department of Health and Social Services says health care in the N.W.T. and across the country is decentralized.<\/p>\n
\u201cHospitals, clinics, pharmacies, and partner organizations often use different electronic medical record systems that don\u2019t always communicate with each other,\u201d a department spokesperson told CBC News in an email. <\/p>\n
\u201cFaxing acts as a universal backup or \u2018bridge\u2019 that ensures important information, such as referrals, lab results, or prescriptions, can still be sent and received regardless of the technology in use.\u201d<\/p>\n
Even still, the territory says it’s trying to cut down on the reliance on faxes, and switch to modern, secure digital solutions.<\/p>\n
\u201cFaxing persists not because it is preferred, but because it is still practical, interoperable, and widely accepted across the health-care sector,” the spokesperson wrote.<\/p>\n
Machines \u2018a big source of privacy breaches\u2019 expert says<\/p>\n
Historically, fax machines have been involved in some privacy breaches in the N.W.T., with medical records getting faxed to the wrong building.<\/p>\n
In 2019, a man from Paulatuk, N.W.T., had his privacy breached when a third-party faxed his private health information<\/a> to the wrong government department. <\/p>\n