Health care companies, whether they are small technology start-ups or established health care organizations, are endeavoring to create value by utilizing the internet to streamline information flows. These companies and organizations share an ultimate goal to leverage information in a way that helps consumers manage their health more effectively, thereby reducing cost, increasing quality, and improving overall health.

This convergence of health care and technology in consumer-centric models introduces important challenges and opportunities for new and established technology companies and health care organizations:

	Consumers need comprehensive solutions, rather than fragmented tools and services, from this emerging movement referred to as “Health 2.0.”
	Health 2.0 companies are seeking ways to expand their offerings to consumers rapidly and cost effectively while fortifying or evolving their business models.
	"Traditional” health care organizations are assessing how to engage in a community that offers patients new capabilities for generating, analyzing, and consuming health information.

It is now imperative to better understand who is involved in this emerging ecosystem and how they deliver value; there is a growing need to actively discuss policy issues that impact Health 2.0 companies and consumers in a forum that can involve, but is not solely controlled by, the largest institutions in our traditional health care system; innovators need to support cost-effective technical collaboration and demonstrations in traditional health care environments; and we must find ways to more rapidly and easily overcome barriers to data liquidity.

But these challenges are too great for any organization to overcome alone. Therefore, companies and organizations must work together in a collaborative network to address these challenges and capitalize on market opportunities.

This is the opportunity for the Health 2.0 Accelerator.

H2A is a nonprofit organization whose goal is to advance consumer-centric health care by driving integration of technology and the consumer experience across a network of new and established technology companies and health care organizations by:

• Developing common understanding of consumer value and promoting trusted use of Health 2.0 technology solutions;
• Removing integration barriers that limit mutually beneficial collaborative business opportunities;
• Facilitating integration of Health 2.0 technology solutions in “traditional” health care environments and with provider-centric technologies;
• Encouraging an appropriate balance of consumer protection and commercial opportunity for Health 2.0 technology solutions, as well as financial incentives that encourage data liquidity; and
• Enabling the development of revenue sharing arrangements and mutually beneficial business models.

Learn how companies can engage with H2A