Objectives: The purpose of the research was to (1) understand the influence of information sources on the awareness and adoption of uterine fibroid embolization (UFE) by interventional radiologists in Michigan and (2) to decipher communication relations in the social network of interventional radiologists that were most conducive to the flow of information about UFE.
Methods: Diffusion of innovations theory and constructs in social network analysis formed the basis for the development of an interview guide. Thirty-two interventional radiologists in Michigan were interviewed over the phone. Chi-square statistics were employed to analyze the awareness and adoption of UFE. Factor analysis was applied to decipher important communication relations in the social network of interventional radiologists.
Results: Conferences were found to be an initial source of information, creating awareness among early adopters (P < 0.05), but other individuals were found to be influential sources in the adoption of UFE by later adopters (P < 0.05). Radiologists rarely browsed Websites for information. Work relations in everyday clinical practice were the communication relations most conducive to the flow of information about UFE. Preliminary qualitative data indicated that opinion leaders in the diffusion of UFE in Michigan were located in hospitals primarily dedicated to practice rather than in hospitals affiliated with universities.
Conclusions: Journals are important information sources for creating awareness and stimulating adoption of innovation among both early and late adopters of new procedures in interventional radiology. Conferences, however, are significantly more important for creating early awareness, while interactions with colleagues is the most important factor in stimulating use of the innovation among later adopters. Among colleagues, opinion leaders in nonacademic hospitals may be more influential than individuals in the academic community.