The application of technology acceptance and diffusion of innovation models in healthcare informatics

• Various models of technology acceptance and diffusion of innovation exist.
• Their application in healthcare settings has not yet been fully explored.
• Future models need to take into account organisational and professional cultures.
• Human factors are more important than technological factors in health informatics.

There have been many attempts to apply previously developed models of technology acceptance and the diffusion of innovations; however the models have weaknesses in predicting the behaviour of individuals and organisations, particularly within the complex health domain. The insights recent work on these models offer is relevant to health informatics development and innovation and need to be considered in the development of organisational strategies. This paper analyses the merits of several relevant models and explores their potential significance for the success or otherwise of health related Information Technology projects, highlighting their weaknesses in relation to the lack of differentiation between technological and human factors which limit their applicability in practice.