Game Changing or Disruptive Innovation: Analytical Framework and Background Study

The purpose of this paper is to provide background information on "game changing innovations" in support of the February 24, 2011 conference Becoming the Best: Building a Sustainable Health System – Game Changing Health Innovations. It was developed by the Institute of Health Economics and funded by Alberta Health Services (AHS) as part of a future focused analysis of the health system examining drivers for health improvement and sustainability over the next 20 years. The initial target audience for this paper is the managers, policy makers and planners who are attending the conference, but it is of potential interest to others interested in the AHS initiative.

The paper is based on a limited search of the published and gray literature regarding disruptive innovations in health care. Rather than a comprehensive assessment, it is a selective review of material that will be most useful to managers in considering likely changes affecting health care over the next 20 years.