Related Experiment Video
Updated: Feb 15, 2026

The Innovation Arena: A Method for Comparing Innovative Problem-Solving Across Groups
Published on: May 13, 2022
Diffusion Of Innovations Theory, Principles, And Practice
James W Dearing1, Jeffrey G Cox2
1James W. Dearing ( dearjim@msu.edu ) is a professor in the Department of Communication at Michigan State University, in East Lansing.
Abstract:
Aspects of the research and practice paradigm known as the diffusion of innovations are applicable to the complex context of health care, for both explanatory and interventionist purposes. This article answers the question, "What is diffusion?" by identifying the parameters of diffusion processes: what they are, how they operate, and why worthy innovations in health care do not spread more rapidly. We clarify how the diffusion of innovations is related to processes of dissemination and implementation, sustainability, improvement activity, and scale-up, and we suggest the diffusion principles that can be readily used in the design of interventions.
Related Concept Videos
Theories of Dissolution: Diffusion Layer Model
This process starts with a thin layer, saturated with the drug, forming at the interface between the solid and liquid. The solute then diffuses from this layer into the main solution. The Noyes-Whitney equation suggests that the rate of dissolution relies on the diffusion...
Self-Discrepancy Theory
Diffusion
Band Theory
The energy difference between these bands is known as the band gap.
Conductor, Semiconductor,...
Scientific Laws and Theories
Attribution Theory

