Information Systems and Health Care XII: Toward a Consumer-to-Healthcare Provider (C2H) Electronic Marketplace

Recent technological advances and the heightened expectations of e-health consumers are about to transform the U.S. health care industry. As consumers demand more online services, physicians respond by adopting information technology into their daily routines. In this paper, we first present recent developments within the telemedicine field that necessitate the establishment of a consumer-to-healthcare provider (C2H) electronic marketplace. Next, we discuss the services this marketplace should offer to both consumers and physicians for it to thrive in this extensively regulated industry. Finally, we compare these services with those provided by what we call a “first-generation C2H marketplace”—a comparison that clearly outlines practical implications for the C2H marketplaces of the future. † Kemal Altinkemer is an associate professor, Prabuddha De is the Accenture Professor of IT, and Zafer Ozdemir is an assistant professor.