Articles
RSSOnline Scorecard: ‘Independent' healthcare e-commerce marketplaces growing
October 25, 2000
By Rick Dana Barlow,Managing Editor, Hospital Network.com
Just when you thought it was safe to blink because there couldn't be any additional companies wanting to target the healthcare market with an online business-to-business marketplace, more companies are jumping aboard the digital gravy train.
Hospital Network.com's ongoing periodic searches for new dot-com sprouts catering to executives and professionals involved in clinical resource and supply chain management dug up an additional 19, the majority of which have recently poked their heads out of the dirt.
As of last count, there are no new dot-com demises to report in the "Dot-Com Death Pool," save for Cimtek Commerce (parent of Medicalbuyer.com) filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection after suspending business operations (as reported earlier).
The total number of "independent" business-to-business (B2B) exchanges offering medical supplies and equipment and other features to administrative professionals in hospitals and non-acute care facilities, and physicians and nurses listed in this "Online Scorecard" is 88. That still represents an overabundant number for executives and professionals in clinical resource and supply chain management (from administrators/CEOs to materials managers and department heads) to consider visiting or accessing on a regular basis. The key question: Could we see 100 by year's end?
The latest total doesn't include the myriad Web sites owned and operated by manufacturers, distributors, consulting firms and media companies. Nor does it include the growing number of application service providers unless they maintain some type of online network for buyers and sellers to meet and conduct business.
For tracking purposes, we excluded the following:
- Web sites operated by vendors who manufacture and/or distribute products as their primary revenue source (e.g., Cardinal.com, Omnicell.com, et. al., and the two new healthcare exchanges established by separate groups of manufacturers and distributors)
- Consumer-oriented physician sites (e.g., WebMD.com, Medsite.com) and Web sites that only offer content, such as product information or industry editorial, without an actual e-commerce function (e.g., ThomasRegister.com, DeviceLink.com and various trade publishers/media companies)
- Application service providers who don't operate their own online e-commerce marketplaces
However, we have included those e-commerce marketplaces in which group purchasing organizations or healthcare systems maintain an ownership stake or an exclusive contract. Examples are Medibuy.com Inc. with Premier Inc. and HealthTrust Purchasing Group, Neoforma.com Inc. with Novation, Broadlane with Tenet and AmeriNet Inc., and MedCenterDirect.com with HealthSouth. In fact, one e-commerce marketplace, MedAssets.com, operates a GPO as a division – InSource Health Services.
By the numbers
Our latest listing shows the following:
- All 88 offer product information, such as catalogs or hyperlinks to vendors to submit orders.
- 75 offer self-promotional press releases, links to online newswires or summaries of selected news stories that appeared in print publications or on other online sites.
- 37 offer some type of online auction capabilities for equipment, either directly on their sites or through related links.
- 27 offer online discussion forums and chat rooms for professionals to interact.
- 24 offer career development opportunities, in terms of consulting, credential-posting and job searches.
- 15 offer clinical research reports, medical reference resources or consumer-oriented information.
- Six offer original news reporting of industry events and issues.
Organized by market segment, our latest listing shows the following:
- 21 target physician practices, ambulatory surgery centers and clinics.
- Six target the chronic care market, including long-term care facilities (e.g., nursing homes, assisted living facilities, skilled-nursing facilities, subacute care facilities and rehabilitation centers).
- Six target home healthcare providers and/or hospital discharge planners.
- Five are international (non-U.S.-based) e-commerce marketplaces.
- Four specialize in asset management/capital equipment.
- Three specialize in diagnostic imaging/radiology.
Here are the sites in alphabetical order by their proper names (new additions are bold-faced):
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1StopMD.com (www.1stopmd.com)3 |
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AdvantMed.com (www.advantmed.com) (In beta testing) |
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AuctionMart.com (www.auctionmart.com) 7 (Contracted with MedAssets.com, August 2000, and Medsite.com, September 2000) |
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AuntMinnie.com (www.auntminnie.com)12 (Acquired Radiologybiz.com, July 2000) |
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Broadlane Inc. (www.broadlane.com)5 |
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BuyMedical.com (www.buymedical.com) (Contracted with Physiciansite.com, March 2000) |
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CardiologyShop.com (www.cardiologyshop.com) (Affiliated with MediGear.com) |
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Central Point Services LLC (www.centralpt.com) (Acquired by EquipMD.com, March 2000) |
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CentriMed.com (www.centrimed.com) (Acquired by Global Health Care Exchange, August 2000) |
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CottonBalls.com (www.cottonballs.com)3 (Contracted with Med-careers.com and Medsite.com) |
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DeliverMed.com (www.delivermed.com)11 (Launched October 2000) |
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DocPlanet.com (www.docplanet.com)3 |
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DocsDepot.com (www.docsdepot.com)3 |
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DoctorSurf.com (www.doctorsurf.com)3 |
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Embion.com (www.embion.com) (Acquired CostCor Inc., May 2000) |
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EMedStreet.com (www.emedstreet.com)11 |
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EmpactHealth.com (www.empacthealth.com) (Acquired by Medibuy.com Inc., July 2000) |
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EquipMD.com (www.equipmd.com)3, 7 (Acquired by Neoforma.com, March 2000) |
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ErgoBuyer.com (www.ergobuyer.com) |
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Esurg.com (www.esurg.com)3 |
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Everything4MDs.com (www.everything4mds.com)3 |
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GlobeRx.com (www.globerx.com) (International e-marketplace) |
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GloMediX (www.glomedix.com) (International e-marketplace) |
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HealthcareCo-op.com (www.healthcareco-op.com) |
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Home Health Productbuzz.com11 (www.homehealth.productbuzz.com) |
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Home Health Provider.com (www.homehealthprovider.com) 1, 11 |
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HospitalandMedicalB2B.com (www.bizprolink.com/newportals/healthcare/hospital/)10 (a k a HospitalandMedicalB2B.com) |
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Hospital Network.com (www.hospitalnetwork.com)1 |
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IdleInventory.com (www.idleinventory.com) |
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Imany.com (www.imany.com) |
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Infinity Markets (www.infinitymarkets.com)3, 4 |
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Innovatix.com (www.innovatix.com)8 |
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Long Term Care Productbuzz.com9 (www.longtermcare.productbuzz.com) |
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Long Term Care Provider.com (www.longtermcareprovider.com)1, 9 |
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MD Depot (www.mddepot.com)3 (Affiliated with TradeMD.com, July 2000) |
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MD Doctors Direct (www.doctorsdirect.md)3 (Launched September 2000) (International e-marketplace) |
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MDISource.com (www.mdisource.com) (Launched September 2000) |
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MedAssets.com (www.medassets.com) |
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MedCabinet.com (www.medcabinet.com) |
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MedCatalog.com (www.medcatalog.com/btob) |
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MedCenterDirect.com (www.medcenterdirect.com) |
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MedChannel.com (www.medchannel.com) |
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MedConduit.com (www.medconduit.com) |
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Med-Depot.com (www.med-depot.com)3 |
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Medexonline.com (www.medexonline.com) |
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Medibuy.com (www.medibuy.com) |
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MedicalBuyer.com (www.medicalbuyer.com) (Suspended operations, July 2000; filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, August 2000) |
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Medical Columbus (www.medicalcolumbus.de) (International e-marketplace) |
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Medical Edge (The) (www.medicaledge.com) |
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Medical EquipNet (www.solumed.com) 7 |
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MedicalMailOrder.com (www.medicalmailorder.com)6 |
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MedicalSupplies.com (www.medicalsupplies.com) (Under development) |
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Medicalsuppliesplus.com (www.medicalsuppliesplus.com)11 |
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MedicalSuppliesUSA.com (www.medicalsuppliesusa.com)3 |
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MedicalSupplyChain.com www.medicalsupplychain.com |
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MedicalSupplyLine.com (www.medicalsupplyline.com)11 (Scheduled for 4Q 2000 launch) |
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MediDEAL.com (www.medideal.com) |
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Medigear.com (www.medigear.com) |
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Medihub.com (www.medihub.com) |
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MediProducts.com (www.mediproducts.com) |
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Medi-Smart.com (www.medi-smart.com) |
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MediTrader.com (www.meditrader.com) |
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MedLinx.com (www.medlinx.com)3 |
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MedMarket.com (www.medmarket.com) |
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MedMatrix.com (www.medmatrix.com) |
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MedPlanet.com (www.medplanet.com) 7 |
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Medpool.com (www.medpool.com) |
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MRN.com (Medi Resource Network) (www.mrn.com) (For sale) |
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Neoforma.com (www.neoforma.com)2 |
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Nurses.com (www.nurses.com)1 |
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NurseSupplies.com (www.nursesupplies.com)6 |
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NursingB2B.com (www.bizprolink.com/newportals/healthcare/nursing/)10 (a k a NursingB2B.com) |
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NursingHands.com (www.nursinghands.com) |
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Ouch.com (www.ouch.com) |
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PharmaceuticalB2B.com (www.bizprolink.com/newportals/healthcare/pharmacy/)10 (a k a PharmaceuticalB2B.com) |
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Pharmacy Productbuzz.com (pharmacy.productbuzz.com) |
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PhyBuy.com (www.phybuy.com)3,4 |
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PhysicianEquipment.com (www.physicianequipment.com)6 |
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Promedix (www.promedix.com)3,4,5 |
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QuoteMed.com (www.quotemed.com) |
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RadiologyB2B.com (www.bizprolink.com/newportals/healthcare/radiology/)10, 12 (a k a RadiologyB2B.com; scheduled for 2000 launch) |
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Rehab Productbuzz.com9 (www.rehab.productbuzz.com) |
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SNALF.com (www.snalf.com)9 |
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SpecialtyMD.com (www.specialtymd.com)3,4,5 |
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Suppleye.com (www.suppleye.com)3,4 |
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Surgerybiz.com (www.surgerybiz.com)4 (For sale, July 2000) |
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Surgical911.com (www.surgical911.com) |
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The ASC Network.com (www.theascnetwork.com)4 |
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TradeMD.com (www.trademd.com) |
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ValueMed (www.valuemed.net) 12 |
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Veranto.com (www.veranto.com) |
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Web of Care ProCare (www.webofcare.com/procare)9 |
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Zydical.com (www.zydical.com) |
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1 Home Health Provider.com, Hospital Network.com, Long Term Care Provider.com and Nurses.com are properties of VerticalNet Inc.
2 Neoforma.com entered into a strategic alliance with VerticalNet in November 1999.
3 These sites are geared primarily to physician practices.
4 These sites are geared primarily to ambulatory surgery centers and clinics.
5 Promedix.com and SpecialtyMD.com are properties of Ventro Corp., and Broadlane.com is a co-venture between Ventro and Tenet Healthcare Corp.
6 MedicalMailOrder.com, NurseSupplies.com and PhysicianEquipment.com are sister Web sites.
7 These sites are geared primarily to asset management/capital equipment.
8 Innovatix was launched as a separate company by GNYHA Ventures and is geared primarily to the non-acute care market.
9 These sites are geared primarily to the chronic care market (e.g., nursing homes, assisted living facilities, skilled-nursing facilities, subacute care facilities and rehabilitation centers).
10 These sites are properties of BizProLink Corp.
11 These sites are geared primarily to home healthcare providers and/or hospital discharge planners.
12 These sites are geared primarily to diagnostic imaging providers.
