Diffusion of innovations in burn care: selected findings

Large sums of money are spent to support biomedical research, but relatively little effort is directed toward getting results to the clinical setting. Understanding the process underlying the diffusion of innovations would promote more efficient conversion of new knowledge into practice. This study examines the diffusion of innovations in burn care that were discussed at the United States National Institutes of Health 1978 Consensus Development Conference on Supportive Therapy in Burn Care. The study traces the awareness and use of innovations in burn care, the source and timing of new information to physicians and the ways in which characteristics of both innovations and physicians are related to the diffusion process. The principal basis for the study is a survey in five New England States of physicians who treat burn patients. The data suggested that between 56 and 97 per cent of physicians were aware of eight major advances. Physicians were more aware of high than low consensus treatments and the adoption rate and adoption level were higher for high consensus treatments. The three most important sources of information about the advances were staff conferences, journals and medical school.