The explosive growth of consumers on the Internet over the last few years is having a profound impact on businesses in every sector of the economy, not the least of which is healthcare. The surveys indicate that vast numbers of Americans are searching the web for healthcare information and in the majority of cases, for information that is specific to their disease conditions. Consumers and patients are taking that information to doctors' offices. Physicians are feeling this pressure even as managed care is driving them to work harder, put in longer hours, and see more patients in a shorter amount of time. Meanwhile, the web sites of most hospitals and health systems today lack the kind of interactivity consumers want. In summary, consumer pressures are growing for health systems, hospitals and physicians to redesign their business models for the Internet age.

The goal of this conference is to help physician and hospital leaders to understand how they can reinvent their core businesses to embrace the opportunities and meet the challenges of the Internet revolution. The conference will run from Sunday noon on February 6th through Tuesday afternoon on February 8th. Exhibits will be open on Sunday through Monday afternoon. Also during Sunday afternoon, selected vendors will have the opportunity to make 30-minute presentations.

The organizers of this conference have been developing successful high level conferences for physician and health system leaders since 1992. E-Healthcare Connections is a new journal and web site (www.ehealthcareconnections.com) that has been launched by John D. Cochrane and an editorial team -of industry veterans. Mr. Cochrane is the editor of the Integrated Healthcare Report and was the founder and architect of the popular Integrated Healthcare Symposium series. This series produced over 25 large-scale conferences in the mid to late 90s. The National Congress HealthCare Conference Series has also been active in producing national events dealing with Healthcare Compliance, Pharmaceutical issues, and the Future of Medical Practice.

The E-Healthcare Connections Journal is the healthcare leaders' strategic guide to healthcare innovations on the Net. Keeping up with the healthcare Internet revolution is a growing challenge, as an estimated 1,500 new health-related web sites come on line each month and there are more than 20,000 sites. At the same time, the Internet promises to be a major force in reshaping the industry in the near future. The purpose of this new journal is to save busy physicians and healthcare executives time as they try to keep up with new developments on the Net. In addition to a 20-page, full-color monthly publication, the journal has established a new web site. The plans for this site include a "Network Affiliates" program that will serve as a subscriber's resource center bringing together all the major vendors who have an interest in "connecting" with physicians, hospitals, health systems, as well as, increasing their marketplace visibility with other sectors world wide. For information and a free sample copy of the publication contact managing editor Ronald Barkley, rbarkley@ehealthcareconnections.com or John D. Cochrane, editor, jcochrane@ehealthcareconnections.com. Be sure to check out our web site at www.ehealthcareconnections.com.

On Sunday, February 6, 2000, from 12 noon to 5:00 PM, the conference will feature a "Partnerships in Cyberspace" Expo. A select number of companies will be allocated workshop meeting rooms to present 30 minute demonstration/product presentations. Priority has been given to companies in the following categories:

• Internet Consumer Health Portals - Where the portals are linked with health system, hospital and/or physician web sites.
• Internet physician practice management support companies
• Web-based electronic medical or patient records companies
• Mobile computing, wireless & palm top companies with programs for hospitals or physicians
• Online disease management companies
• Online physician resource companies
• Other companies with internet-related products or services that assist physicians, hospitals, and integrated delivery systems to establish and optimize their internet strategies.
• E-Healthcare Connections Web Site Network Affiliates

A revolution is underway that will change the way physicians, hospitals and integrated delivery systems do business. This fundamental shift isn't driven by the threat of a President's solution to rising healthcare costs. It isn't driven by managed care or breakthrough discoveries in medicine. It is driven by consumers who are rushing onto the Internet in search of information and tools that will empower them to take charge of their own healthcare. By and large, it isn't the hospital or physicians responding to this phenomenon. It is a new breed of entrepreneurs, who are adding an estimated 1,500 new health-related Web sites per month.

Both healthy consumers and patients are taking more responsibility for their own care, as a result of what they learn on the Internet. And, this will have a direct impact on traditional healthcare providers. According to a Louis Harris poll in March, 60 million Americans searched for healthcare information last year, and more than 90% said that they were satisfied with the information they found. That is an estimated 68% of all adults who had Internet access last year. The Louis Harris poll also found that two-thirds of those who searched the Internet talked about the information they found with their doctors.

Even more relevant is the fact that consumers who search the Net are looking for information on disorders that now consume a significant portion of total healthcare resource consumption. The top ten health conditions prompting a search, for example, were depression, allergies (or sinus conditions), cancer, bipolar disorder, arthritis/rheumatism, high blood pressure/ hypertension, migraine, anxiety, heart disease, and sleep disorders. Think of the potential power to influence quality and costs, if we could harness the energy of these web surfers. But, the use of the Internet by consumers is going beyond simply looking for healthcare information.

A report from Piper Jaffray predicts that healthcare will surpass online book retailing, which to date has been the most successful e-commerce model. The report points out that each year Americans spend four times as much per capita on prescription drugs as on books. Piper Jaffray also noted the tremendous potential for efficiency improvement in the industry. Their research indicates that one of every four dollars spent on healthcare is wasted through delivery of unnecessary care, redundant tests, and excessive administrative costs and that six percent of hospital admissions result in adverse drug events (most of which are preventable).

So why haven't physicians and hospitals converted many of their business and consumer communications to the "Web way of life?" Until recently, a very big factor has been physician resistance based on lack of computer-savvy, accuracy of data concerns, privacy concerns, and difficulty of incorporating a new routine.

Where are physicians as we enter the Internet age? In 1996, only 7% of physicians were using the Internet. A survey reported by Healtheon in mid-June now indicates that over 85% of physicians have gone online. Physicians are using e-mail (74%) and searching for medical information (60%). Physicians are doing research online, communicating with hospitals and labs or updating their medical training.

The shift onto the net by consumers and physicians has been very quick. In fact, it has happened so quickly that legal, financial, political and business structures have been caught off guard. Technically, for example, physicians throughout the world now have the ability to treat patients in cities, counties, and countries online. Yet in America, physicians must be licensed in the state where care is provided.

There have been a number of reasons physicians and hospitals have lagged behind other industries. But, now there is evidence that this is beginning to change. And, consumers are the driving force. For example, in a recent survey, at least 64% of Americans said they would like to be able to send e-mail messages to their doctors, but only 34% of the doctors said they were interested. Given the ease of using e-mail compared to licking stamps, listening to Musak on the telephone, or sitting in a waiting room, it's only a question of time before this situation changes.

Strategic use of the Internet holds the potential for achieving vision of a seamless, coordinated, accessible, and comprehensive integrated health care system. And, that's without sinking large dollars into legal forms and infrastructure.

The goal of this conference is to help physicians and health systems to seize the opportunities to become connected in the new digital age.

The goals of the symposium are:

• To provide physician & health system leaders with a better understanding of Internet healthcare market forces and trends.
• To examine the impact of the Internet on relationships among consumers, patients, physicians, hospitals, and integrated delivery systems
• To present lessons from actual case studies of Internet-based, patient-accessible, interactive electronic medical records.
• To address the issues of patient interactivity, privacy and accuracy of health information on the Web
• To assist physicians and hospitals in redesigning their business processes to facilitate integration, coordination, communication and patient interactions.
• To present strategies for encouraging physicians to make the Internet a vital component of their practices.
• To provide a forum for examining, comparing and contrasting Internet companies that assist physicians and hospitals to realize their full "Internet potential."
• To provide an unparalleled opportunity for networking.