US Oncology, Inc. Turns to Oracle to Improve Patient Care with Electronic Health Records SystemLeading Cancer Care Services Company Uses Flexible Integrated Data Infrastructure to Provide Physicians Centralized Access to Comprehensive Patient Data
DIA 45th Annual Meeting, San Diego - June 22, 2009
News Facts
US Oncology, Inc., a leading United States provider of oncology support services, has implemented the Oracle® Database as the foundation of its Java-based, electronic health records (EHR) system to support the evidence-based approach to cancer treatment.
The company's new EHR system, iKnowMedTM, provides more than 800 network oncologists across US Oncology's 468 affiliated locations with centralized access to comprehensive patient information. US Oncology acquired iKnowMed, and its oncology-specific EHR technology, in 2004.
US Oncology migrated from a paper-based environment to the flexible iKnowMed system to improve physicians' ability to determine the best patient treatment regimen - from both a medical and cost perspective.
iKnowMed's easy access to comprehensive patient data has enabled increased insight into treatment progress that facilitates intelligent and compassionate decision-making for providers - improving patient quality of life and reducing costs.
iKnowMed improves the practice's ability to ensure the safety of its patients by sending automatic, intelligent alerts to warn providers of adverse drug interactions or reactions.
The Oracle-based iKnowMed system can identify viable patient candidates for clinical trials in a timely manner to support research initiatives for physicians participating in the US Oncology Research network.
US Oncology is leveraging the next-generation capabilities of its integrated EHR system to help the organization build a care-focused online community for both patients and physicians.
US Oncology also leveraged the capabilities of its Oracle E-Business Suite applications, including Oracle Supply Chain Planning and Oracle Warehouse Management, to deploy an ePedigree system that enables the company to track drugs from the product manufacturer through to delivery to each practice.
The ePedigree system helps ensure that US Oncology maintains compliance with state regulations, and helps to prevent drug counterfeiting.
Supporting Quote
"The modern healthcare environment requires that providers balance delivering the highest quality of care while maintaining costs to patients and payers. Leveraging the flexible IT capabilities of Oracle Database, our iKnowMed electronic health records system provides the comprehensive patient information and treatment intelligence that enables physicians to assess the best course of treatment and effectively pursue and adjust treatment pathways to create a better experience for patients and clinicians, while continuing to reduce costs," said Todd Schonherz, Chief Information Officer, US Oncology, Inc.
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About US Oncology
US Oncology, Inc., headquartered in The Woodlands, Texas, works closely with physicians, payers, biotechnology, pharmaceutical and medical equipment manufacturers, to identify and deliver innovative services that enhance patient access to advanced cancer care. US Oncology supports one of the nation's foremost cancer treatment and research networks, accelerating the availability and use of evidence-based medicine and shared best practices.
US Oncology uses its expertise to support every aspect of the cancer care delivery system-from drug development to distribution and outcomes measurement-enabling the company to help increase the efficiency and safety of cancer care. According to the company's last quarterly earnings report, US Oncology is affiliated with 1,227 physicians operating in 468 locations, including 95 radiation oncology facilities in 39 states. For more information, visit the company's Web site, www.usoncology.com.
About Oracle
Oracle (NASDAQ: ORCL) is the world's largest business software company. For more information about Oracle, please visit our Web site at http://www.oracle.com.