Harvard Professor Clayton Christensen coined “disruptive innovation” in 1997 to signifying something that unexpectedly changes a market.  The glucose meter, allowing diabetics to closely monitor their own blood sugar instead of relying on a doctor, is an example of what Christensen meant. Today, numerous innovations have potential for disrupting healthcare, making it better, cheaper or more accessible, but compared to nearly every other major industry, healthcare is remarkably resistant to change.

Major General Robert Lee Howze

In some ways healthcare resembles American military thinking before World War II.  Naval strategists believed the battleship would remain the platform for winning wars at sea.  When  Brig. General Billy Mitchell proved that aircraft made battleships sitting ducks, “leaders” saw this disruptive argument as unreasonable.  In frustration, Mitchell accused them of  “almost treasonable” neglect, for which he was court-martialed in 1926.  Major General Robert Lee Howze presided over Mitchell’s trial, convicting him of insubordination.  Demoted, Mitchell resigned. General Howze was a significant soldier-a Medal of Honor winner from the Indian wars-and like many senior military officers adhered to the conventional thinking of prior experience.  The Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor was the price for that line of conventional thinking.

Brig. General William "Billy" Mitchell

Molecular medicine, medical automation, and telemedicine are disruptive innovations in today’s healthcare.  It’s also quite apparent a Howze effect permeates from the physician’s office to the halls of Congress.  Let’s hope that aging demographics, a widening gap between medical costs and insurance coverage, and an underclass in need don’t sink our ship of state.

Image Credits:  Wikipedia