The impact of organizational characteristics on telehealth adoption by hospitals

Human and organizational factors are central to the adoption of various telehealth technologies and influence their diffusion into integrated networks. The aim of this paper is twofold. Firstly, a conceptual framework for assessing organizational factors that condition telehealth adoption by hospitals is proposed. Secondly, the results of an exploratory study conducted among the 32 hospitals involved in the Provincial Extended Telehealth Network of Quebec (Canada) are presented and discussed. Relevant concepts from different theoretical frameworks were combined to propose a comprehensive framework of potential factors affecting telehealth adoption by hospitals. A questionnaire was administered via telephone interviews to the DSP (Director of Medicine) of each of the 32 hospitals. Level of telehealth adoption was assessed by computing the number of transmissions performed since the hospital´s adhesion to the network. Then, contingency analyses were performed to determine which organizational factors were significantly associated with telehealth adoption. Finally, the paper discusses some of the implications pertaining to the organizational dimensions affecting telehealth adoption by hospitals and proposes avenues to facilitate the diffusion of this technology.