Diffusion of computers in hospitals: An analysis of adopter categories

Very little is known, empirically or conceptually, about the diffusion of technological innovations in hospitals. Most of the empirical studies on the diffusion of innovations in hospitals have focused upon organizational change resulting from new programmatic services, rather than characterizing the early use of an idea or product. This paper discusses the diffusion of computers in hospitals. Specifically, the profiles of three distinct adopter categories are developed in terms of three factors: (a) the characteristics of the hospital; (b) the characteristics of the hospital's environment; (c) the training and background of the hospital administrator. Discriminant analysis is used to develop these profiles.