The timing of medical technology acquisition: Strategic decision making inturbulent environments

Healthcare decision makers and researchers have long been interested in the factors behind medical technology acquisition. The rate of environmental c hange in recent years has dramatically affected technology acquisition deci sion making in acute care hospitals. This study examines the relative role of decision-maker influence and environmental factors on the timing of MRI acquisition in hospitals operating in three western states with different l evels of environmental uncertainty. The results suggest that the relative i nfluence of decision makers and environmental factors on innovation acquisi tion timing varies depending on environmental turbulence, and that hospital s acquire new technology as one way of controlling the turbulence in their environments.