 |
|
Disseminating Health Care Innovation
|
|
| Since this article does not have an abstract, we have provided the first 150 words of the full text and any section headings. |
|
|
|
To the Editor: Dr Berwick1 viewed dissemination of innovation as a social process. We have several questions, however, about his recommendations. How and by whom will "sound innovations" be identified in a timely manner? How are innovators and early adopters chosen? The underlying assumption is that such individuals can be prospectively selected in all relevant areas—a daunting task.
Ryan and Cross2 have found that the rate of adoption of hybrid corn seed by farmers followed a predictable power law relationship, which is typical of the behaviors of complex systems.3 Power law relationships are seen in many natural and social systems and are indicative of systems that are open and dynamic. This raises the possibility that the diffusion process represents emergent behavior in complex systems rather than a social process driven by individuals. What variables govern emergent behavior and whether any are controllable by individuals remains unknown.
Emergent behavior can be . . . [Full Text of this Article]
Dieter R. Enzmann, MD;
James Sayre, PhD
Radiological Sciences Department
David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA
Los Angeles, Calif
RELATED ARTICLES
Disseminating Health Care Innovation
Jeffrey Levin-Scherz
JAMA. 2003;290(11):1454-1455.
EXTRACT
| FULL TEXT
Disseminating Health Care Innovation
Robert J. Yaes
JAMA. 2003;290(11):1455.
EXTRACT
| FULL TEXT
Disseminating Health Care Innovation
JoAnne E. Epping-Jordan and Evette J. Ludman
JAMA. 2003;290(11):1455-1456.
EXTRACT
| FULL TEXT
Disseminating Health Care Innovation—Reply
Donald M. Berwick
JAMA. 2003;290(11):1456.
EXTRACT
| FULL TEXT
Disseminating Innovations in Health Care
Donald M. Berwick
JAMA. 2003;289(15):1969-1975.
ABSTRACT
| FULL TEXT
|
