title: CE: Telehealth: a case study in disruptive innovation.
abstract: Technologic advances in health care have often outpaced our ability to integrate the technology efficiently, establish best practices for its use, and develop policies to regulate and evaluate its effectiveness. However, these may be insufficient reasons to put the brakes on innovation-particularly those "disruptive innovations" that challenge the status quo and have the potential to produce better outcomes in a number of important areas. This article discusses the concept of disruptive innovation and highlights data supporting its necessity within health care in general and nursing in particular. Focusing on telehealth as a case study in disruptive innovation, the author provides examples of its application and reviews literature that examines its effectiveness in both nursing practice and education.
authors.affiliation: Janet Grady is vice president of academic affairs and chair of the Nursing and Health Sciences Division at the University of Pittsburgh in Johnstown, PA. Contact author: jgrady@pitt.edu. The author and planners have disclosed no potential conflicts of interest, financial or otherwise.
authors.forename: Janet
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Grady
mesh_terms: D004496:Education, Continuing; D009736:Nursing Process; D009936:Organizational Innovation; D017216:Telemedicine