The computer, the mobile phone, and the wheel have something in common: all three are examples of disruptive technologies. An increasingly fashionable concept given the rapidity with which innovations occur in different areas of human knowledge, including medicine and even insurance.
Definition of disruptive technology
Disruptive technology is any technology or innovation that makes previous technology obsolete. The term disruptive is used because it produces a sudden break, sometimes causing profound changes in our way of life, for example; AI has been a disruptive technology in many different industries.
In short terms, disruptive technologies have the power to change the way we work, live, think and behave. Let's think about the changes brought about by the appearance of the internet or social networks. Disruptive technologies are sometimes described as both destructive and creative because they make old products, and even entire industries, obsolete and create new ones in their place.
And although the term is most often used to describe electronic gadgets and products, it can also be applied to concepts and services. Twenty years ago, the world had never heard of online shopping, microloans, or crowdfunding and today they are in the order of the day.
Examples of disruptive health technology
Telecare: Telecare can mean that in a few years we will not have to go to the clinic to see our family doctor. Telecare is already being tested successfully to care for the chronically ill and provide medical care to isolated communities. A paradigm shift that will undoubtedly revolutionize patient care.
3D printers: The possibility of 3D printing has burst into the field of medicine with advances that are already a reality, such as prosthesis printing, and others that open a horizon full of possibilities, such as the printing of organs for transplantation.
Genomic editing: It may sound futuristic, but gene editing in humans is getting closer. An advance that could rid humanity of genetic diseases that today have no cure. For example, a new genome-editing tool called CRISPR has already been used in China to create transgenic monkeys.
Virtual reality: Virtual reality does not only have applications in the field of entertainment. It is also being used to train surgery students or help psychiatric patients fight their disorders.
If you want to learn about disruptive technology in the insurance industry you should also check out this article.
What are the disruptive technologies that await us in the near future? How many of the disruptive technologies we've seen so far have had the most impact on your everyday life?
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