An epidemic of pain in an Australian radiology practice
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An epidemic of pain in an Australian radiology practice Jeanette Van Akkeren1 and Bruce Rowlands2 1 University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Australia; 2Griffith University, Brisbane, Australia
Correspondence: Jeanette Van Akkeren, University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Australia. Tel: þ 6 175 499 7226; E-mail: [email protected]
Abstract This paper presents findings from a study of an organisationally mandated assimilation process of an enterprise-wide information system in a radiology practice in Australia. A number of interviews with radiologists, radiographers and administrative staff are used to explore the impact of institutional structures on the assimilation process. The case study develops an argument that culture within and outside the Australian Radiology Practice (ARP), social structures within the ARP and organisational-level management mandates have impacted on the assimilation process. The study develops a theoretical framework that integrates elements of social actor theory (Lamb & Kling, 2003) to provide a more fine-grained analysis concentrating on the relationships among the radiology practitioners, the technology (an enterprise-wide Health Information System), and a larger social milieu surrounding its use. This study offers several theoretical and practical implications for technology assimilation in the health and radiology industry regarding the important roles social interactions, individual self-perceptions, organisational mandates and policies can play in assimilating new ICTs. European Journal of Information Systems (2007) 16, 695–711. doi:10.1057/palgrave.ejis.3000715 Keywords: ICT authority assimilation; health informatics practice; social actor model
Introduction
Received: 28 February 2007 Revised: 15 July 2007 2nd Revision: 19 August 2007 Accepted: 27 September 2007
Health Informatics is a relatively under-researched area, needing in-depth analysis and reporting given that the healthcare sector has lagged in IT adoption (Wilson & Sloane, 2007). In a recent empirical study on the adoption of electronic medical records (EMRs) by physicians in the U.S.A., Audet et al. (2004) found that most physicians do not use EMRs and related technologies and report that adoption is uneven. This paper addresses barriers to health information system (HIS) use and an existing lack of research in healthcare organisations by studying the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) assimilation process in a large geographically dispersed Australian radiology practice – hereafter known as ARP. The assimilation process described is one of non-voluntary adoption where authorities made the initial decision to adopt a new HIS and mandated its use. Targeted users (in this case radiology practitioners) had few alternatives but to adopt the innovation and make the necessary adjustments for using it to perform their jobs. Theories of technology assimilation (Gallivan, 2001) suggest that a variety of institutional, social, and political factors blend together in influencing the extent to which com
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