Very Interesting! MDIX White Paper Corvallis. Jan. 7, 1999. Venture Returns Internet Network.MEDIX RESOURCES INC WHITE PAPER.
This Paper discusses the features and benefits of the Cymedix Lynx Software Program.
Cymedix Lynx provides an Internet based healthcare information management and communications software product for medical providers, their payors and their suppliers. Lynx was designed to address the urgent needs for expanded communication among the various participants in health care industry charged with delivering quality care at reduced costs to an increasing population of patients. Cymedix Lynx takes advantage of the unique communications opportunities offered by the Internet and the rapid advances in programming and database software, to develop a suite of unique software applications, and then provides this unique program to sponsoring organizations in an economical package.
The primary objectives of the software are to provide an inexpensive, easy to install and easy to operate, secure network, supporting a complete range of clinical applications. Cymedix Lynx creates an information super-highway that allows data interchange and/or exchange between all the various healthcare participants; managed care organizations, MSOs and PBMs, physicians, clinics, laboratories, pharmacies, hospitals, nursing homes, and indemnity payors of all types.
Software/Architecture Features:
Cymedix Lynx utilizes the latest software programming development tools(Visual Basic, C++) and state of the art relational database software (SyBase) to construct a platform/framework of clinical applications for the physician client/end user site, and sponsor; control/management program suite for the Network Sponsor's server. These programs (1) non-invasively extract the physician's patient records from his current Medical Practice Management Program, populating the new Cymedix relational database, (2) add/connect numerous additional relevant data sets to the patient record, (3) provide a completely integrated suite of clinical healthcare applications for more efficient patient care, and (4) establish a communication network among all the relevant health care providers to exchange the necessary patient information easily, efficiently, cost effectively and in a completely secure manner.
Cymedix Lynx creates a fully secured private communications network. Cymedix has filed a broad-based patent with 29 claims (see attached flow charts) for utilizing low bandwidth FTP (file transfer protocol) over the Internet. Cymedix Lynx establishes for the user organization, a medical network (of unparalleled size and power), in effect creating multiple Extranets, using the Internet as its backbone. Therefore, the finished network(s) are fully secure private networks among the participants, providing maximum security for medical communications.
Secure Network Transmission
A significant portion of the company's patent claims deal with the security architecture built into each communications module. Cymedix Lynx applications (medical, communications and database) are local to each physician's (end user) office, offering an extra level of comfort to the physician. The Cymedix communications module works in the background so that each transmission is automatically and seamlessly; (a) encrypted (public/private key) and then twice encoded, (b) header/footer split and compressed w/ check digits, (c) data packets sent down two different non-competing paths over the Internet, and (d) automatically reassembled at the receiving end. All processes are automatic.
Maximum Flexibility in Network Communications.
The User doesn't have to be on-line to receive communications from a host or another network user, nor does the user have to establish a direct link to the host or another participant to deliver communication. The User's local ISP connection gives the User the equivalent of a dedicated outboard server without the expense, providing 7/24 reliability. Cymedix Lynx assures acceptance and deliverability of all communications. The communication module provides the user with flexibility for scheduling automatic and/or on-demand dial-up for transmission and reception of medical data.
Cymedix Lynx applications have been designed with minimum hardware requirements for effective operations and communications. Hardware requirements represent NO barrier to participation. The Cymedix software applications will operate on a 486 powered PC of any make or model (386 also possible) that has a minimum speed (14.4) modem. Because of the outboard ISP relationship and flexible dial-up capability, Cymedix Lynx can share communications with a FAX line in the physician's (end user) office (no dedicated lines).
The unmatched advantages of the Cymedix communications architecture are flexibility, adaptability, reliability, ease of use, low cost, and complete security of the medical communications.
Cymedix provides a new breed of software providing full functionality built on emerging universal HL-7 data standards, that effectively balance three opposing forces; functionality (complexity), ease of use, and low cost including price to market.
Applications.
The program provides a full set of clinical applications for managing patient care, streamlining clinical paperwork, and increasing efficiency while improving the accuracy of tracking patient care.
There are three categories of application modules.
(1) Medical (outbound) Order Entry, which includes (a) Full Pharmacy Benefits Management programs with electronic 'script, drug formulary and drug interaction modules, (b) Lab Order Entry with complete reporting: results, pending, tickler, out of limits, historical, summary, etc., and (c) Radiology. In addition Cymedix Lynx software applications provide both on-line and off-line (fax) order entry.
2) Payor applications include: (a) Plan and Procedure Eligibility, (b) Procedure/Drug Authorization, and (c) Patient Referral
3) H-HHC-R applications include (a) Hospital pre-admitting, (b) Home Healthcare Approval/Follow-up, and (c) Long-term Care and Rehabilitation.
Setting Up A Network (Ease of)
Recognizing the inherent difficulty in getting a new piece of software installed and implemented at the Doctor's office, Cymedix has created a complete implementation Program (including software, videos and training) to help bring the physician swiftly on-line with the network and applications with a minimum of effort and fuss.
A proprietary program (Universal Interface) provides the means to populate the client's Data Base with the current patient records that up to a Cymedix implementation, had been "locked" in proprietary Physician Practice Management Systems. Typically, PMS programs do not provide capabilities for exporting information. This previously unresolved problem has created the single largest barrier to entry onto the physician's "desktop". Cymedix has bridged this gap with a single patent pending application - the Universal Interface.
The Cymedix Universal Interface has been designed so a physician's staff person can in one easy pass define a map of the PMS report output (patient demographics, patient activity, insurance information). The Universal Interface will then extract the patient data from ANY Practice Management system, no matter its make, model or date of manufacture. The Universal Interface mapping process requires less than one hour set-up time. The Universal Interface is THE data bridge to the Cymedix Lynx database, and is designed to import and export data to any key tangential application with a useful data-base.
To complement/support the program's implementation, Cymedix has developed extensive customer training videos, plus (800) help lines, and can provide local training to complete the support package.
Economic Model (Cost Effective)
Cymedix Lynx was developed with the strategic viewpoint that any up-front cost was an impediment to implementation, especially if the charge, any charge was passed on to the physician. Therefore, the Cymedix software, including the Universal Interface, is provided free of charge to all parties. The Cymedix economic model is instead built upon a fee based network approach, commonly referred to as an E-commerce model, the Network Sponsor(s) paying only for the transactions/traffic generated by the network, or shared with other interested participating Sponsors. The fees vary depending on the application with the per transaction charges competitive with existing manual or semi-automated alternatives for most applications. There may be costs associated with the server hardware installation (depending on volumes), and there are typically modest installation and training costs, which are typically borne by the sponsoring party. The Cymedix approach is not unlike the "facsimile machine" model. The more networks and users are installed, the more healthcare providers are available to communicate with, the more gravity the overall network creates.
Business Advantages (some thoughts)
The Lynx applications simplify the routine tasks that physicians and other remote providers must perform on a daily basis to maintain medical and billing information in electronic files on patients, physicians, and insurance carriers as well as other third party payors. The software enables remote providers to submit their medical-procedure requests electronically to their service providers, and receive the results automatically online - over the Internet (or off-line via fax), rapidly and with complete security, and probably most importantly, free to the physician.
Some of the more straightforward application advantages are:
- batch or real-time online requests regarding patient eligibility for plan and/or procedure saves time for both parties in the transaction (physician & Sponsor), - treatment pre-authorization saves money in personnel efficiencies, - electronic referral to other physicians or facilities saves major money for HMO's on unauthorized referral treatments and reduces risk of lost paperwork.
There are numerous valuable aspects to Cymedix Lynx for many diverse interested parties. (a) The Sponsor's MIS has probably been asked to come up with a similar product.
(b) For the Hospitals, Lynx delivers the application results/benefits that CHIN's were envisioned to deliver.
(c) The software is provided free of charge to all service providers - HMOs, hospitals, clinical labs, radiology centers, clinics, hospital-outpatient departments, closed-door pharmacies, nursing home groups, and Payor groups of all types. Providers can then provide software free of charge to physicians and other remote providers they sponsor.
(d) The Provider Relations (MD type)/COO responsible for Doctor enrollment should find the Cymedix network concept makes enrolling new PCPs easier. This tool gives the HMO something new to talk to the doctors about. The recording and reporting of patient activity/status provides the HMO with much greater monitoring/control of their network of physicians.
(e) Doctors get timely eligibility and authorization of treatment procedures, and they don't get stuck with bills for non-authorized or non-capitated procedures or treatments they performed - only to find out after the fact. Referrals can be rapidly authorized and forwarded electronically to a specialist, reducing paperwork, risk of loss, and increasing patient satisfaction.
(f) Orders for patient services can be sent any time or batched to be uploaded automatically at regular intervals to any Legacy-type system ( HIS, LIS, HMO, etc.), saving time, reducing errors, adding to patient electronic history. The networks reliability ensures all communications are delivered and all fulfillment returned.
(g) Completed procedure results from suppliers on the network are then automatically downloaded from Sponsor server systems to update the patient database providing a variety of reports at the client site: result, pending, out of limits, summary, historical, etc. The ability of the application to flag out of limits test results and track unfinished pending tests are very valuable to the delivery of quality medical care, and the avoidance of potential liability from overlooked requested tests.
(h) The new Pharmacy Benefits Management program gives the Sponsor a full featured PBM application with its attendant value, and it integrates the physician 'script activity into a larger patient data framework, increasing the value of the collectable/reportable patient data. Prescription trade history allows for specialist physicians and referred to physicians to make informed medication decisions
(i) The tightly designed integration of the application set capturing all patient activity provides a valuable historical electronic patient record - providing a wealth of data for reporting and analysis options to the Sponsor(s).
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