Element of diffusion of innovations theory | Impact on rate of adoption | Findings |
---|---|---|
Relative advantage | Increases rate | AI offers a relative advantage by improving the working lives of clinicians Risk of bias in AI tools reduces this relative advantage The degree of relative advantage needed for adoption of AI in the NHS has not been agreed: absence of a gold standard |
Compatibility | Increases rate | NHS IT infrastructure may not be compatible with AI Regulatory landscape is not compatible with AI Certain specialties are more compatible with AI Transferability of AI tools may be poor: they may only be compatible with a single NHS site |
Complexity | Decreases rate | Improved language clarity around AI could reduce its perceived complexity Education about AI could reduce its perceived complexity |
Trialability | Increases rate | High up-front costs of AI, combined with the existing financial pressures facing the NHS, limit its trialability |
Observability | Increases rate | Black box AI reduces the observability of the decision-making process |
Time: adopter categories | n/a | Some healthcare professionals will be more or less resistant to adopting AI: this reflects the five adopter categories |
Social system: opinion leaders | Increases rate | Champions could be used as facilitators of AI adoption; these reflect the opinion leaders described by Rogers |