The at-a-touch telecommunications and personal computing of today were initiated by advances in technology that effectively shook up the status quo, said Christensen, who is the author of the book "The Innovator's Dilemma" that outlines his research into why businesses succeed and why they fail. His model has been followed by companies such as computer processor manufacturing giant Intel.

It's been happening for at least 80 years, he said, adding that a good laptop and the right software today offer the capacity equal to the molecule building innovations achieved at DuPont 80 years ago that brought the tremendous advances in fabric that "can't be regarded as anything but a blessing today."

Profits aren't the motive of the U.S. health-care system, but increasing value, widening access and reducing costs — most of which goes for overhead needed just to keep track of the procedures rendered — are the goal.

"The real source of cost in health care is that eight out 10 employees are taking care of managing cases while two out of 10 are actually providing care." Christensen said. "If overhead could be combined with innovative, precise diagnosis that is available today, it enables predictive therapeutic procedures that would end much of the redundant testing and inappropriate therapy."

Taking a cue from Leavitt's automobile metaphor, Christensen said that Toyota was a foreign car innovative disruption to the auto industry in the United States.

"Keep in mind," he cautioned, "the Corolla came first, not the Lexus."

Innovative disruptions always lead to products that at first are expensive, complex, exclusively available, Christensen said. "But as innovations are applied, products and services become quite affordable and convenient."

Affordable and convenient is a long way off for health care, Christensen said, noting that 75 percent of all medical costs today are rooted in treating chronic disease, and half of those patients being treated are receiving therapy that is not appropriate for the condition. "Addressing that could remove an enormous amount of waste."

Except for some innovative regional medical center-based programs, advances in genetics as well as the incredible amount of data that information technology has afforded medical care are simply not being taken advantage of by the health care industry, Christensen said.

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E-mail: jthalman@desnews.com