HOSPITAL ADOPTION OF INNOVATION: THE ROLE OF INTEGRATION INTO EXTERNAL INFORMATIONAL ENVIRONMENTS.

In this paper it is hypothesized that observed variability in hospital adoption of innovation can be accounted for, at least in part, by variability in the development of structural mechanisms which provide access to information about change in the environment. The hypothesis is tested using data from a national sample of hospitals, and on an aggregate basis the results support the theoretical perspective, although certain integration-enhancing mechanisms were much better predictors of innovation than others. The results also illustrate the importance of the relationship between the nature of the innovation and the adopting system and suggest a potential clarification of the relationship between hospital sire and innovation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]