Medical tourism—traveling abroad for the purpose of obtaining healthcare—was once considered a renegade industry but is now mainstream and expected to increase greatly in frequency and reach. It is a consumer-driven trend, as patients seek ways to mitigate healthcare costs, but it continues to gain approval and even support from domestic insurers as well as foreign governments.

Advances in medical technology are rapidly bringing forth new diagnostics, devices, and smart and innovative approaches to medicine. For example, there are now smart contact lenses embedded with sensors and electronics to monitor disease and dispense drugs, and advances in surgery include the use of 3D screens to bring human anatomy to life during operations.

There is no question that Steve Jobs was a visionary. He impacted the lives of many with his innovative thinking and product development. He also left me, as a marketer, reflecting on his opinion of traditional market research approaches. According to Jobs, “It isn’t the consumers’ job to know what they want.” Apple products avoided evaluation by the consumer prior to launch, reflecting a philosophy that innovation is only stifled by the average consumer’s critique. He was not the first great visionary to recognize this issue.