Every document that leaves the agency goes out over one of a few channels. Which one gets used is not a per-document decision — it comes from the provider library. Know the channels, and know how a signed page finds its way back.
The channels
Channel | How it works | Best for |
eSign (DocuSign) | The provider signs electronically; the signed copy returns on its own | Providers set up for electronic signature — fastest turnaround |
Fax | Sent to the fax number on the provider's record | Offices that live on fax; returns come back through the fax inbox |
Sent to the email on the provider's record | Offices that accept documents by email | |
Queued for printing and physical handoff | Physical-only providers |
How the channel is chosen
Each provider's Preferred Method lives in the provider library — see The provider library.
On an order's Signature & Sending panel, Provider Rules shows that preference, and the matching Send via option — eSign (DocuSign), Fax, or Email — is badged Preferred.
Sending routes by the preference automatically. Track the order from Ready to send through Sending... to awaiting signature.
Note: When orders to one provider keep stalling unsigned, the problem is almost always the channel — a stale fax number or a wrong preferred method. Fix the provider's directory entry, not each order.
The QR code on order pages
Every outbound order page carries a QR code anchored to the signature line, encoded with patient and order identifiers. When the signed page comes back — faxed, scanned, or photographed — the system reads the code and attaches the page to the right order automatically. No cover sheet reading, no manual matching.
When a signed page comes back without a readable code, it surfaces as Unlinked Signature Document Received — link it by hand from the order's Link Document, choosing the document and clicking File to Patient Chart.
Note: Tell providers' offices to return the actual signed page, not a retyped confirmation — the QR code is what makes the return file itself.
Watch delivery
Everything sent appears on the Documents page's Outbound tab with a delivery status — Sent, Delivered, or Failed. Failed means the transmission did not go through: verify the destination in the provider library and resend. See Upload and send documents.
If something goes wrong
A fax keeps failing. Verify the number in the provider library, then resend. Repeated failures to a good number mean the receiving machine — call the office.
A signed order came back but did not attach. The QR code did not read — find it as an unlinked signature document and link it to the order manually.
A provider wants a different channel for one document. Send via the channel they asked for this once; if the ask keeps repeating, update their Preferred Method so routing follows reality.