Frequently Asked Questions

updated January 2022

1. What is LTRAX?
2. What are the current features of LTRAX?
3. How does it work?
4. What sort of computer hardware will I need to install in my hospital?
5. How do I use it?
6. Can we access our data remotely from business offices, clinical floors, or satellite clinics?
7. What about upgrading the software?
8. What is the planned down time for LTRAX?
9. Where is the data stored?
10. How many simultaneous users will LTRAX support?
11. What kind of security is used to protect patient data?
12. Can LTRAX collect and submit the LTCH CARE Data Set?
13. Is there an additional charge for LTCH CARE data reporting?
14. Can you tell me more about the assessment features?
15. Does LTRAX have a pre-admission feature?
16. Does LTRAX have facility-definable fields?
17. Can LTRAX incorporate patient satisfaction surveys?
18. Can LTRAX import data from my other hospital systems?
19. How else is the data used?
20. What user support does LTRAX offer?
21. How do I find out more?

What is LTRAX^TM?

LTRAX^TM is a combined data collection tool and outcomes engine built specifically for long-term acute care hospitals. LTRAX merges administrative, clinical, and acute hospital data and extracts patient-centered outcomes in real time. The LTRAX system incorporates pre-admission screenings, clinical assessments, and patient satisfaction surveys along with specific data collection tools for wound and ventilator patients. LTRAX incorporates the LTCH CARE Data Set for easy collection and submission to the CMS LTCH Quality Reporting Program. LTRAX delivers these tools to long-term acute care hospitals using secure, maintenance-free Internet technology.

What are the current features of LTRAX?

LTRAX is constantly evolving and improving. A partial list of LTRAX features follows:

How does it work?

LTRAX is a thin-client database application that can be accessed using a current-generation web browser on any computer connected to the Internet. Faster Internet connections increase speed.

What sort of computer hardware will I need to install in my hospital?

Typically, in-place computer systems need no further upgrades to use LTRAX. You almost certainly have all the computer power that you need. Since the system is Internet-based, you do not need to have a dedicated server or dedicated machines to run this software.

How do I use it?

Go online, open a web browser, and point your browser to www.LTRAX.com. Each user logs in with a unique username and password, at which point the browser session becomes encrypted for security like online banking. LTRAX allows subscribers to customize each user's access to the system. A user with full access can add new patient records, view assessments, and view reports and outcomes. A hospital-designated system administrator can create and delete users, establish and edit user permissions, reset user passwords if necessary, and create custom data fields.

Can we access our data remotely from business offices, clinical floors, or satellite clinics?

Yes. You can access the service and submit or retrieve information from any computer with a web browser and Internet access. For enhanced security, an organization has the option to narrow access to its IP range.

What about upgrading the software?

The LTRAX program code is located on a remote server outside your hospital. When we release new features, you will be notified of a planned outage and upgrades will appear the next time you log in. You will never have to load patches or upgrades. We continually improve the LTRAX software, and you are encouraged to make suggestions or report bugs using the system's Enhancement Requests feature.

What is the planned down time for LTRAX?

Infrequently, it will be necessary to briefly shutdown various servers to perform upgrades and maintenance. These kinds of outages will be announced in advance and performed during periods of low usage (i.e., very late at night or on Sundays).

Where is the data stored?

Data is stored on a dedicated RAID10 server in a highly secure offsite data center with redundant data communication connections and backup power supplies. This configuration provides for maximum security of the data and excellent reliability of services.

How many simultaneous users will LTRAX support?

LTRAX is built to sustain thousands of simultaneous users. Each hospital may have as many registered users as it requires.

What kind of security is used to protect patient data?

Traffic between LTRAX and individual users' browsers is protected using the encryption protocol TLS 1.2. This not only allows for data to be sent and received in an unreadable way, but it also ensures that no data is tampered with en route. Furthermore, the computers that handle user forms are separate from the database where patient information is stored, and the database computer is not accessible from the Internet. Because LTRAX utilizes this compartmentalized processing, patient data would be fully protected in the unlikely event that someone gained unauthorized access to one of the secure web servers.

Can LTRAX collect and submit the LTCH CARE Data Set for CMS?

LTRAX can collect all data required for the LTCH CARE Data Set and create files that meet the requirements of the LTCH Quality Reporting Program. LTACHs then submit their own files using unique accounts with the Internet Quality Improvement and Evaluation System (iQIES). For more information about iQIES, see the LTCH provider page of the QIES Technical Support Office website.

Is there an additional charge for LTCH CARE data reporting?

No. The LTCH CARE submission file preparation service is included with the cost of your subscription to LTRAX.

Can you tell me more about the assessment features?

Users with appropriate permissions can create, edit, and process patient assessments, including clinical assessments, ventilator assessments, pressure ulcer risk assessments, and wound assessments. Hospitals can also create their own custom data fields to capture any additional information desired.

Does LTRAX have a pre-admission feature?

Yes. The optional Pre-Admission Screening (PAS) Tool provides LTACHs a means to gather a comprehensive, uniform set of data on potential patients. The tool's multipurpose mission is to streamline data collection; introduce uniformity in admission justifications; and feed information on referrals, admissions, and denials to the Referrals Outcomes Reports.

Does LTRAX have hospital-definable fields?

Yes. A hospital can add an unlimited number of custom data fields to the LTRAX assessment.

Does LTRAX offer patient satisfaction surveys?

Yes. The optional patient satisfaction system uses a standardized survey instrument and includes scanning services for returned forms and a comprehensive patient satisfaction outcomes report with benchmarks.

Can LTRAX import data from my other hospital systems?

Yes. LTRAX takes data from other electronic medical and billing systems using HL7.

How else is the data used?

Data is aggregated to develop national benchmarks and provide the industry with insight into practice patterns and industry dynamics.

What user support does LTRAX offer?

We offer users five different ways of getting answers to questions:

1. Access comprehensive documentation available in on-screen help and the LTRAX User Manual.
2. Use the LTRAX message system to send a secure, private question to the support team.
3. Send a question via email to assistance@LTRAX.com.
4. Post a question to other users on the LTRAX user forums.
5. Call our support team at (301) 357-8110.

How do I find out more?

For additional information about LTRAX, its capabilities, and its features, email assistance@LTRAX.com or call (301) 357-8110.

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