Innovation Adoption and Research Methods: The Risk of Misuse in Healthcare Management Studies

Innovation adoption in the healthcare industry is a complex process driven by several variables. Laws frequently govern the implementation of healthcare innovations, making modifications more difficult. Both innovation and organizational manager qualities have an impact on the adoption of innovations in the healthcare industry. Numerous studies have sought to investigate the variables that influence and precede healthcare decision-makers to adopt new technologies. The Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology, or UTAUT, and the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology 2, or UTAUT2 [7-8], are two of the most popular research models used for this purpose. This study aims to find out how the two research models—UTAUT and UTAUT2—were really employed in the studies that make this claim. Thus, the purpose is to discuss how the UTAUT and UTAUT2 models have really been applied in research on the uptake of innovation in the healthcare industry, with a methodological perspective. Healthcare innovation adoption is a complex process with theoretical, cultural, and social implications. For innovation adoption in healthcare to be effective, it is essential to comprehend these implications. To the best of our knowledge, some systematic studies have been conducted on the topic, such as literature reviews or bibliometric analyses. Still, no work addresses how and whether UTAUT and UTUT2, as conceived by their creators, have been employed in studying innovation adoption in healthcare.