Diffusion of innovations in the National Health Service: A Case Study investigating the implementation of an electronic patient record system in a UK secondary care Trust.

The aim of the research was to explore the experiences of consultants during the implementation stages of a major IT programme in a UK health care organisation and to explain what factors affected the adoption of the new technologies. A single site case study approach using semi-structured interviews and project documentation was employed. The data was analysed using a method similar to Template Analysis. It was found that the Trust employed a top down, centrally driven model which was perceived as technology push, even though it was claimed to be clinical lead. Innovation attributes that were the most influential were the poor performance of the system and its impact on the perceptions of relative advantage, voluntariness and cost. Organisational problems encountered included differences between the structures of the IT directorate and the centralised structure of the organisation. Managing the perceptions of consultants towards IT is an essential element to facilitate the successful adoption of information technology.