Physician Reactions to Healthcare IT: An Activity-Theoretic Analysis

This paper examines the diverse nature of cognitive, emotional, and behavioral reactions elicited among physicians in response to the introduction of a computerized physician order entry system in a hospital setting. These diverse reactions, which translate into different forms of acceptance and resistance behaviors are studied within the social-historical context of physicians´ work using activity theory as a theoretical lens. Our interpretive analysis helps us understand why some physicians are favorably disposed while others are not toward the same system within the same hospital, and how these differences are manifested in their subsequent behaviors. This study complements prior information technology usage research by exploring differences in usage patterns within a user population, by extending usage research into mandatory settings, and by demonstrating the use of activity theory as an interpretive lens for informing information systems research.