SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, Calif., Nov. 10 /PRNewswire/ -- OTN (Oncology Therapeutics Network), a leading independent oncology services company, today announced the launch of Lynx Practice Manager(TM), an integrated patient information and billing management system. Lynx Practice Manager was designed specifically for community-based oncologists to help them manage the needs of their practice, achieve increased efficiency in electronic patient management and analysis, streamline administrative duties, collect receivables more efficiently and improve the overall workflow in their practice.
"OTN has a 15-year history of providing community-based oncologists with a broad set of products and services they can rely on to run their offices as efficiently as possible, leaving more time to focus on delivering the best care to their patients," said John Amos, President and CEO of OTN. "With Lynx Practice Manager, which integrates seamlessly with our existing Lynx Technology Platform, medical practices now have another innovative technology to help them streamline medical recordkeeping, analyze data to ensure the highest level of patient care and improve their billing process and practice efficiencies."
The web-based Lynx Practice Manager includes functions for scheduling patient appointments, capturing charges, billing and reporting. Additional features include:
-- Claims inspector, which automatically reviews electronic claims before they are processed for payment by the health plan. The system looks for up to 400,000 different potential problems that could result in a claim being rejected. Inaccurate claims are returned to the practice typically within 24 hours rather than the standard turnaround time of 15 days typical of other practice management systems. The system also researches denied claims to help prevent future rejections of a similar nature. -- Automated billing, which minimizes the time between billing and collections -- Tracking of electronic claims from submission to reimbursement -- Patient demographic features that keep billing staff and practice administration current on a patient's status -- Storage of electronic patient records and scanned documents, which are accessible to authorized users both onsite and from remote locations -- Automated patient demographic management through Lynx technology interfaces, which reduces duplicate entries and centralizes charge capture -- Access to more than 100 financial reports exportable to Microsoft(R) Excel that can help a practice analyze its business -- Secure access from any Internet connection -- Electronic backups of data every 60 minutes -- Proven security features, including HIPAA protections -- Substantial technical support handled by OTN
"We have installed Lynx Practice Manager at our four offices throughout Louisiana and are encouraged by its ease of use and the extensive reports that it provides, which helps us improve efficiency," said Paula Benoit, Accounting Manager of Louisiana Oncology Associates in Lafayette. "As we have 14 treatment chairs in our Lafayette office, scheduling can be difficult so we are especially pleased with the new scheduler. It allows us to see how many treatment chairs are occupied at any given time so we can avoid overbooking the treatment room and ensure we are properly staffed with nurses. We look forward to working with OTN to further enhance Lynx Practice Manager."
Lynx Practice Manager is available to all office-based oncologists, including those not already using OTN's Lynx Technology Platform. The Lynx Technology Platform offers several options to help oncology practices access data and streamline and improve their business. In addition to Lynx Practice Manager, these include:
-- Lynx Station(TM), an automated inventory management and tracking system designed for community-based oncology practices. Lynx Station provides automated drug and supply ordering, tracks inventory, reduces inventory costs and helps eliminate billing errors and lost charges. It also populates OTN's proprietary Lynx System database, the largest clinical database in community oncology. -- Lynx Mobile(TM), a handheld, automated inventory management and charge capture platform designed for community-based oncology practices that may not have the physical space for a Lynx Station but want the benefits of Lynx technology. Lynx Mobile records inventory, transactions and E&M (evaluation and management) codes. Because Lynx Mobile is portable, staff can use the device at a nurse's station or in an infusion room. -- Lynx Interface, which updates the practice's practice management system by automatically transferring patient information from Lynx Practice Manager or another practice management system to the Lynx Station or Lynx Mobile. This saves the practice time by eliminating manual re-entry of patient data.
"Because community-based oncologists schedule their patients by physician, laboratory results, and/or treatment room, they have specific requirements in a practice management system. To accommodate this, Lynx Practice Manager is customizable to each individual practice," added Mr. Amos. "Moreover, Lynx Practice Manager is designed to grow with a practice. For example, as new oncologists join, the scheduling system can be easily adjusted to reflect the new physician. From patient demographics to complete billing cycle management, Lynx Practice Manager offers practices a flexible and versatile solution to run their business."
About OTN
OTN is an industry-leading oncology services company that provides oncology drugs, supportive care products and related supplies to more than 2,400 office-based oncology practices in the United States, comprising more than 4,000 physicians. OTN was recognized as one of InformationWeek's top 500 companies in 2003 and 2004 and was recently honored with Frost & Sullivan's 2005 Customer Value Enhancement Award in recognition of its role in advancing cancer care in the community-based setting. OTN continues to develop innovative technology solutions to help oncology practices improve practice efficiency, minimize costs and maximize revenues. OTN is dedicated to helping community-based oncology practices extend and enhance the lives of people with cancer by offering the highest level of customer service and a knowledgeable support staff.
For more information, please visit www.myOTN.com.
OTNCONTACT: Jonathan Zalk of OTN, +1-650-871-3321, orjonathan.zalk@myotn.com; or Daryl Messinger of WeissComm Partners,+1-415-999-2361, or daryl@weisscommpartners.com, for OTN
Web site: http://www.myOTN.com/
