Telehealth Adoption: Three case studies at the organisational level

We present the results of an inductive analysis using interview data to establish core themes in organisational level adoption of telehealth. The source of the interview data was a large study to evaluate how telehealth can promote long term health and independence and improve quality of life for people suffering from chronic health conditions. The study took place over three different pilot sites and 41 interviews were conducted with healthcare professionals who collectively had responsibility for over 5000 patients. We explore the data from the perspective of the organisation, focussing on the unique features of each pilot site and seeking evidence for themes of adoption success at the organisational level, particularly via organisational identity. We explore the data via a set of propositions based on organisational identity theory and models of technology adoption. The major finding of this work is that experience in the adoption of telecare was found to detract from telehealth adoption success.