Indicators of organizational readiness for clinical information technology/systems innovation: a Delphi study

The study presented in this article represents the second phase in a multi-phased research program focused on health care organization readiness for clinical information technology/system (IT/S) innovation. The overall purposes of this exploratory study were to: (1) validate the seven IT/S innovation readiness sub-dimensions of a heuristic organizational information technology/systems innovation model (OITIM) developed in phase one of the research program, and (2) identify indicators to assess the validated sub-dimensions. The study was conducted with an expert panel using a two-round modified Delphi technique. In Round #1, panelists supported retention of the OITIMs' seven theoretical IT/S innovation readiness sub-dimensions with an interrater agreement level range of 82-100%. Their sub-dimension importance ratings ranged from 3.27 to 3.72 (1=not important to 4=critically important) with the resources sub-dimension receiving the highest rating of 3.72. Panelists recommended that two sub-dimensions, 'Staffing and Skills' and 'Operations', be renamed to 'End-Users' and 'Management Structures', respectively, and that one sub-dimension, 'Administrative Support' be added. In Round #2, panelists identified a total of 316 indicators to assess the eight sub-dimensions. A two-step thematic analysis process was done with these indicators to reduce duplication and overlap. In Step 1, the investigator created ten preliminary theme categories per sub-dimension. In Step 2, a coding team categorized 279 (88%) of the 316 indicators into preliminary sub-dimension themes to create an organizational IT/S innovation readiness assessment taxonomy. This preliminary taxonomy was used to develop an organizational information technology/systems innovation readiness scale that is currently being pilot tested in phase three of the research program.