Disruptive innovation refers to an innovation that creates a new market and value network and eventually disrupts an existing market and value network, displacing established market leading firms, products, and alliances.1
Consider this — when digital cameras were new, was the leading film company innovating in this digital space? With a large shift in how consumers capture, share, and store pictures, Kodak held fast to less innovative technologies. Several small disruptive innovators came in and turned image capturing on its head and changed the industry forever.
Healthcare is ripe for disruptive innovation to improve outcomes, provide increased value, and increase safety. In an industry filled with research, innovation, and technology, the ground is set for new health innovations.
A brief history of disruptive healthcare innovations:
- Handwashing
- Oranges for scurvy
- Iodine in salt
- Golden hour
- Electronic Medical Records
Before each of these innovations became standard practice, the doctors and scientists were considered crazy for bucking the status quo. “If it worked before, why do we need to change it?” was heard across the medical community each time a disruption surfaced.
But, what if clinically proven, research-focused healthcare disruptions improved the triple aim and met the Hippocratic oath to do no harm?
Clinical decision support tools are critical to the success in the modern hospital and clinic.2 The translation of clinical knowledge into useable and curated elements of the continuity of care is monumental in proper patient care.
In the end, disruptive innovation will continue to push healthcare forward, create opportunities for growth, and change how we treat patients.