Adoption of medical technology by hospitals: a review of innovation attributes and a conceptual model of the resulting service

Innovative medical technologies help to transform health care by empowering physicians and patients with tools that enable faster diagnosis and better treatment of disease. Diagnostic practices and procedural functions in clinics and surgeries are dependent on modern instruments, tools and laboratory equipment. This paper examines innovation attributes in detail and discusses their implications on adoption by hospitals. The resulting service is classified in four categories depending on newness of the service to the hospital and the target patient population to whom the service is offered. A case study examines the technology attributes in adoption of two different techniques for cataract surgery.

Keywords: adopter categories, medical technology, medical innovation, innovation attributes, hospitals, healthcare technology, cataract surgery, technology adoption