Navigating the technological landscape in hospitals: A taxonomy of scanning and assessment integration types anchored in innovation orientation and specialization of care

Abstract

Hospitals navigate a dynamic technological terrain, demanding adept scanning and assessment practices for emerging technologies. Hospitals' innovation managers lack clear guidance for designing scanning and assessment practices aligned with their strategic orientation. This paper addresses this gap constructing three intertwined theoretical frameworks characterizing hospital technology scanning and technology assessment types and the logical and temporal integration between them, based on their strategic orientations.

Our taxonomy, rooted in innovation orientation and specialization of care, identified as paramount factors distinguishing hospital types regarding technological innovation, aims to provide a nuanced understanding about the latter. These factors influence scanning via the technology focus and process diffusion and impact assessment through technology readiness level and degree of diffusion in practices. Additionally, we identify criteria for technology assessment across hospital types and we depict how technology scanning and assessment are integrated in the different cases.

This paper contributes to theory and practice. It provides innovation scholars with a theoretical foundation for designing empirical investigations. Simultaneously, hospitals' innovation managers and policymakers gain valuable insights to implement effective initiatives and policies. Bridging the gap between theory and practice, this work fosters a more engaging and actionable discourse on the intersection of hospital strategy and technological innovation.