There are several innovations happened in healthcare delivery. Some of these are given below (figure 1):

• Product innovation
• Process Innovation
• Service design Innovation
• Service delivery Innovation
• Business model Innovation
Innovations in healthcare improves adaptation and affordability.

Product Innovation is concerned with introduction of new types of goods and services for the external markets. This includes significant improvements in technical specifications, components and materials, software, user friendliness or other functional characteristics. Examples include wearable devices, portable ECG of GE, Intra Ocular lens of Aravind Eye Hospital, Jaipur foot etc. These innovations help in generating incremental revenues [2]. Some of the main products include patient monitoring devices, home care and health and fitness. Wearable devices market is growing at the rate of 4.8% on year-on-year growth [3].

Process Innovation is mainly implementation of a new or significantly improved production or delivery method. This includes significant changes in techniques, equipment and/or software. These innovations help in improving internal capabilities and quality improvement [2]. Some of the examples include use of computerisation of medical records, improvement in the use of medical equipment like in Aravind Eye Hospital where surgical equipment is being used for two tables.

Service Design Innovation mainly focus on design of man-machine system compatibility including customisation of devices and its functioning. For example, customising the pulse rate of pacemaker implanted to a patient. Examples include telemedicine, mobile healthcare units, small clinics in the vicinity of patients, collaboration with other stakeholders etc. Figure 3 shows

Service Delivery Innovation include the use of new methods in delivering the service and helps in cost reduction as well as turnaround time of care delivery. This include innovation in medication, surgical interventions, procedure etc.

For example, use of iphone for taking picture of eye and checking for preliminary diagnosis in place of a computer or other equipment. MRI, CT Scan, Cataract surgery etc. Figure 4 shows arrangement of eye check-up equipment on a two wheeler which can reach to the location where four wheeler mobile unit cannot reach.

Apart from these four innovations, one of the most important one is business model innovation. This is mainly focuses on number of alternatives and pricing of products and services. Examples include offering two or three options for surgical services along with other support services like room with air conditioner or without air conditioner etc. Providing enough number of winning alternatives refers to business model innovation.

Diffusion of innovations in healthcare requires acceptance of innovations by the different stakeholders mainly the care receivers (patients), care givers (doctors and others). This requires alignment of knowledge, technology and institutionalisation of practices. Innovations in healthcare helps government to provide conducive environment for innovation and collaboration opportunity between public and private organisations. Facilitate in implementing healthcare initiatives in large scale by optimising resources and their deployment.

References:

1. S rivastava S C and Shainesh G (2015), Bridging the service divide through digitally enabled service innovations: Evidence from Indian Healthcare service providers, MIS Quarterly, Vol 39(1), pp: 245-267.

2. O machonu V K and Einspruch N G (2010), Innovations in Healthcare delivery systems: A conceptual framework, The Innovation Journal: the public sector innovation journal, vol. 15(1), pp: 1-20.

3. http://www.todaysmedicaldevelopments.com/article/wearable-medical-devices-2016-market-72816/
https://www.innovation.cc/scholarly-style/omachonu_ healthcare _3innovate2.pdf

About the author

S Venkat is an Associate Professor in Operations Management at IIM Lucknow, India. His interests include healthcare operations management, affordable healthcare design for bottom of the pyramid consumers, Managing operations in religious organisations etc.

A colorful fish found in Africa may hold the secret to growing lost teeth. In a collaborative study between the Georgia Institute of Technology and King’s College London, researchers looked at the cichlid fishes of Lake Malawi in Africa, who lose teeth just to have a new one slide into place.

Their study, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, identifies the genes responsible for growing new teeth and may lead to the secret to “tooth regeneration” in humans. Another study from a Harvard team successfully used low-powered lasers to activate stem cells and stimulate the growth of teeth in rats and human dental tissue in a lab.

The results were published in the journal Science Translational Medicine. Stem cells are no ordinary cells. They have the extraordinary ability to multiply and transform into many different types of cells in the body. They repair tissues by dividing continually either as a new stem cell or as a cell with a more specialized job such as a red blood cell, a skin cell, or a muscle cell. Dentures and dental implants may soon become a thing of the past. Stem cell research is making it possible to regrow your missing teeth!

This is a much-needed medical advancement, especially considering that by the age of 74—26% of adults have lost all of their permanent teeth.

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