What is meant by "disruptive innovation" in healthcare?

Disruptive innovation in healthcare refers to innovations that significantly alter the way healthcare is delivered, leading to improvements in accessibility and affordability. This concept, initially introduced by Clayton Christensen, describes how certain innovations can create new markets and value networks, ultimately displacing established market leaders and products.

In the context of healthcare, such innovations may include technologies or processes that enable care to be delivered in more efficient ways or to a broader population. For example, telemedicine and remote monitoring technologies are disruptive innovations because they change traditional healthcare delivery methods, making care more accessible to patients who may not have been able to visit healthcare facilities easily. They can also reduce costs by streamlining processes and enabling preventive care.

The other options reflect either traditional approaches or incremental changes that do not represent the fundamental shift in delivery models that disruptive innovations entail. While maintaining traditional care delivery models and making minor improvements are important, they do not capture the essence of disruptive innovations that transform the healthcare landscape. New marketing strategies are also not indicative of a change in how care is delivered but rather focus on promoting existing services rather than innovating in service delivery itself.