The Future of Sharing Records is Here
Simply put, physical file transfers are slow and expensive. Burning CDs, printing documents, and scheduling courier services take days, sometimes weeks, to arrange. These unnecessary practices often extend settlement timelines. In addition, each physical transfer also adds costs for materials, postage, and labor that quickly compound across multiple cases. Currently, in the insurance, medical, and legal industries, it is common practice to share files electronically. Let’s explore the reasons why.
What is Electronic Sharing?
Electronic file sharing refers to the digital exchange of records (e.g., patient medical records) between authorized parties. It is commonly used to enable faster decision-making, reduce administrative burdens, and improve document quality. High-speed internet, cloud storage, and secure portal technology have eliminated the technical barriers that once made physical transfers necessary. Today’s digital platforms are more functional and easier to use than burning CDs, more reliable than postal services, and more secure than any physical method.
Who Would Benefit from Electronic Sharing?
Insurers share electronic medical records to verify claims, determine coverage eligibility, and assess medical necessity, thereby improving claims processing efficiency. Legal professionals use electronic medical records as evidence in personal injury, medical malpractice, workers’ compensation, and disability cases. Medical records help establish causation, the extent of injury, damages, and the standard of care. Courts rely on electronic records for accuracy and completeness, which are also time-stamped and can be audited. In simple terms, electronic file sharing enhances efficiency, accuracy, and transparency, thereby expediting claims processing and legal resolution.
What Purpose Does It Serve?
Medical experts and attorneys demand instant access in today’s fast-paced, increasingly technologically infused business environment. Expert witnesses and Independent Medical Examiners (IMEs) require immediate access to records to initiate their reviews. Waiting for CDs to arrive via standard postal mail creates bottlenecks that slow down depositions, hearings, and case resolutions. In competitive legal markets, the firms that have access to faster expert opinions often have a strategic advantage.
What are Some Key Benefits?
Several of the key benefits are impossible to ignore.
Time – A fast-paced, competitive business environment punishes delays and can compromise strategies surrounding case resolution.
Cost – Eliminating physical media, printing, and courier fees can save organizations thousands of dollars per case. When multiplied across dozens or hundreds of cases annually, the return-on-investment of digital file sharing becomes impossible to ignore.
Accuracy – Insurance carriers can improve claims processing by reducing paperwork, duplication of tests, and processing time. Law firms can help establish causation, extent of injury, damages, and standard of care.
Efficiency – Insurers reduce claims processing times, hence reducing turn-around-times which yield to lesser exposure as claims are settled faster. Legal professionals can get to claim disposition sooner as well rather than later.
Environmental – Modern law firms and insurance carriers recognize their environmental impact. Digital transfers eliminate plastic CDs, paper waste and fuel consumption from courier deliveries – aligning legal operations with broader corporate sustainability goals.
Is Electronic Sharing Compliant?
From a regulatory and compliance perspective, electronic medical file sharing is tightly controlled by privacy and data protection laws. These regulations require only authorized parties can access medical information, that disclosure be limited to what is legally and operationally necessary and that robust safeguards – such as encryption, authentication controls and activity logging – be implemented and put in place. Both insurers and legal professionals may face significant liability if medical data is improperly assessed, disclosed or mishandled. Security risks are unacceptable in today’s environment. CDs can be lost in transit, stolen or intercepted. Faxes send sensitive patient information over unsecured lines. Physical documents lack audit trails, making it impossible to know who accessed them or when. In some cases, HIPAA security violations can carry a fine of up to $50,000 per incident – a cost that makes digital medical transfers far more appealing than physical transfers.
Why Choose SimplyShare?
With SimplyShare, securing the sharing of sensitive information has never been easier. A SOC 2 and HIPAA-compliant client portal ensures that medical records, radiology films, and legal documents are transferred safely and efficiently to expert witnesses, Independent Medical Examiners (IMEs), attorneys, and other authorized recipients.
There are several undeniable benefits of using SimplyShare.
Secure & Compliant – SimplyShare operates on a platform that meets the highest security standards, including SOC 2 and HIPAA compliance, to protect sensitive data.
Instant Access – Quickly upload and share files with authorized recipients, eliminating delays of physical document transfers.
User-Friendly Interface – SimplyShare is designed with an intuitive interface, making it easy for clients, legal teams, and medical experts to access and review documents.
Track & Monitor – Maintain control over shared records with tracking features that provide visibility into file access and retrieval.
Seamless Integration – One-stop solution for managing and sharing records securely.
How SimplyShare Works
Upload Files – Securely upload medical records, radiology films, and legal documents to the encrypted client portal.
Select & Designate Recipients – Designate authorized recipients such as expert witnesses, IMEs, or legal professionals.
Instant & Secure Access – Recipients receive a secure link to access the shared files without the need for mailing physical copies.
Track & Confirm – Receive notifications and tracking insights to ensure your documents reach the intended recipients.
Summary
In the current insurance, medical, and legal environment, physical file transfers are obsolete. In an increasingly technologically based modern business world, regulatory compliance demands are stricter than ever, requiring the highest levels of scrutiny. Data breaches from physical records carry catastrophic consequences. Moreover, Case volumes have dramatically increased while timelines have contracted. Insurance adjusters and legal professionals are managing a larger case load. Another interesting phenomenon is that remote work has fundamentally changed how professionals operate. The shift to hybrid and remote work environments means medical experts, IMEs, insurance, and legal professionals face pressures to resolve matters faster as clients demand quicker settlements. Litigations are under intense scrutiny because insurers and legal professionals are increasingly finding more ways to be more efficient, accurate and effective in the claims resolution process. Ultimately, the competitive landscape has evolved. Forward-thinking law firms and insurance carriers have already adopted digital file sharing as a best practice. They are now resolving cases faster, reducing costs and delivering better client experiences. Organizations that still rely heavily on physical file transfers are losing competitive advantages, as well as clients who expect a modern, efficient and timely resolution to their claims.
