Lag In Adoption Research Articles

Functional Gaps In Attaining A National Health Information Network

We describe the health information technology (HIT) required for a model of a national health information network (NHIN). Specifically, we define the functional HIT capabilities of an attainable NHIN and determine the gap between the current state of HIT and its likely state in five years, given current trends of adoption. Administrative functionalities will be more prevalent than clinical functionalities in five years. Smaller stakeholders, such as home health care agencies, will lag in adoption. Policy changes, such as financial incentives to HIT end users or regulatory measures, may help accelerate the adoption of HIT for a model NHIN.

Information Technologies in Florida's Rural Hospitals: Does System Affiliation Matter?

The recent explosive growth of information technology in hospitals promises to improve hospital and patient outcomes. Financial barriers may cause rural hospitals to lag in adoption of information technology, however, formal studies that examine rural hospital adoption of information technology are lacking. To determine the extent to which rural Florida hospitals utilize clinical and other information technology applications, to identify related information technology issues and barriers, and to explore differences between stand-alone and system-affiliated hospitals. Chief information officers in rural Florida hospitals were surveyed from June 2003-October 2003. A comprehensive set of questions assessed hospital demographics, information technology priorities and barriers, clinical and other information technology systems, and staffing needs. In rural Florida, current information technology priorities included upgrading security on information technology systems to meet Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act requirements (53.6%), implementing technology to reduce medical errors and to promote patient safety (50.0%), and implementing wireless systems (46.4%). With respect to current information technology adoption, system-affiliated rural hospitals were statistically more likely than their stand-alone counterparts to have laboratory information systems (93% vs 39%), pharmacy (87% vs 46%), pharmacy dispensing (53% vs 8%), chart deficiency (60% vs 15%), and order communication results (60% vs 23%). Financial barriers to successful information technology implementation were noted by 69% of stand-alone and 20% of system-affiliated rural hospitals. Although top information technology priorities are similar for all rural hospitals examined, differences exist between system-affiliated and stand-alone hospitals in adoption of specific information technology applications and with barriers to information technology adoption.

Increasing the economic benefits from agricultural research: the case of enhancing the diffusion of a pasture weed technology

The process of enhancing the diffusion of a new technology attempts to shorten the time between the completion and adoption of an agricultural research programme, as well as to increase the overall level of adoption. The economic benefits of introducing a new technology are influenced by the technology development lag, the adoption lag and the maximum, or ceiling, level of adoption. Technology diffusion embodies these issues and concerns the uptake of a new technology across a population of potential adopters. Diffusion enhancement is now considered to be a desirable component of pasture research programmes in Australia. This paper evaluates the economic benefits of enhancing the diffusion process for new technology in the management of Vulpia, which is a prominent annual grass weed of Australian temperate pastures. Differences in economic benefits were calculated for a range of scenarios, by varying the values of the main elements of the diffusion process relative to those of a base scenario which represented the most optimistic adoption expectations for the technology. The discounted total benefits to the Australian wool industry, calculated for a 15-year period from reducing Vulpia in temperate pastures, were between A$31.9 million and A$287.3 million, according to differences in the pasture's Vulpia content. While the 2 main time components of the diffusion process both had strong effects on the potential benefits, the technology lag had a much larger influence than the adoption lag. This result emphasises the importance of agricultural research programmes that are able to quickly diffuse such technologies to the potential adopters.

Frictionless Technology Diffusion: The Case of Tractors

Many new technologies display long adoption lags, and this is often interpreted as evidence of frictions inconsistent with the standard neoclassical model. In this paper we study the diffusion of the tractor in American agriculture between 1910 and 1960 – a well known case of slow diffusion – and show that the speed of adoption was consistent with the predictions of a simple neoclassical growth model. The reason for the slow rate was that tractor quality kept improving over this period and, more importantly, that only when wages increased did it become relatively unprofitable to operate the alternative, labor-intensive, horse technology.

Frictionless Technology Diffusion: The Case of Tractors

Many new technologies display long adoption lags, and this is often interpreted as evidence of frictions inconsistent with the standard neoclassical model. We study the diffusion of the tractor in American agriculture between 1910 and 1960—a well-known case of slow diffusion—and show that the speed of adoption was consistent with the predictions of a simple neoclassical growth model. The reason for the slow rate of diffusion was that tractor quality kept improving over this period and, more importantly, that only when wages increased did it become relatively unprofitable to operate the alternative, labor-intensive, horse technology. (JEL L62, N51, N52, N71, N72, O33, Q11)

Beneficios económicos potenciales de tecnología bovina de doble propósito en el trópico mexicano

El objetivo del estudio fue evaluar los retornos economicos de la tecnologia bovina de doble proposito en Mexico. Los beneficios de la tecnologia fueron estimados mediante un modelo de excedente economico, bajo los supuestos de un pais pequeno. Definiendose dos mercados: leche y carne, integrados por dos funciones de oferta (region tropical y resto de Mexico) y una funcion de demanda bajo dos escenarios: pais importador neto con economia abierta (PINEA) y pais con economia cerrada (PECE). Para estimar los incrementos en el excedente del productor y del consumidor de cambios en el uso de tecnologia, se integro informacion estadistica de oferta, demanda y precio de leche y carne, informacion secundaria de elasticidades, precio e inversiones para generar y promover dicha tecnologia, se aplicaron dos encuestas: una a productores, para cuantificar la reduccion neta del costo de produccion y una a tecnicos para cuantificar el retraso en la adopcion de tecnologia. Se asumio un retraso de siete anos entre la generacion de tecnologia y la adopcion por los productores. Las estimaciones de beneficio-costo obtenidas para los escenarios de PINEA y PECE, muestran respectivamente, retornos del 51 y 50 % a las inversiones en investigacion y extension, si todos los productores adoptaran la tecnologia. El nivel minimo de adopcion para generar retornos de al menos 10 % sobre las inversiones publicas fue de n y 10 %. El estudio indica que los retornos a la investigacion y extension publica en ganaderia bovina en Mexico son altos y que a pesar de los niveles bajos de adopcion, estos justifican los gastos realizados.

Reducing the knowledge-practice gap in the management of patients with cardiovascular disease.

Despite major progress in the development of effective therapy to reduce mortality and morbidity from cardiovascular disease, it remains the leading cause of mortality in this country. One aspect of this problem is represented by the lag in adoption of treatments with documented efficacy in large clinical trials. This "knowledge-practice gap" has been attributed to factors at multiple levels of the health care system that impede implementation of optimal therapy. Although there is evidence of progress in the use of recommended therapeutic modalities in the past decade, this has been modest. Recent approaches to assessment of patient care by physicians, health plans, and institutions through the tracking of clinical performance have been instituted to promote optimal patient care. They are being increasingly utilized for purposes of accreditation and will also provide guidance for consumer purchasing of health care. Such methods have the potential to promote increased adherence to current standards of care.

Does the energy-efficiency paradox exist? Technological progress and uncertainty

We explain why firms may choose not to undertake investments inenergy-saving technologies that appear profitable from a net presentvalue perspective. As future technological advances are inherentlyuncertain and investments in new technology are, at least partly,irreversible, it may ``pay'' to postpone investments in energy savingand wait for the arrival of improved varieties. This insight casts doubton the existence of so-called ``low hanging fruits in energy saving''(although we do not wish to deny that organisational failures may alsobe important). Failure to appreciate the underlying stochasticity oftechnological progress may obscure the insight that there is value inwaiting, and costs involved in terminating the option to invest. Theappetite for low-hanging fruits will be less when these costs areincorporated in the analysis. We demonstrate that the effect of thearrival rate of new technologies on the adoption lag for a rational firmis ambiguous. The same holds for the effect of the expected ``jump'' inefficiency of new technologies. Government policies aimed at enhancingthe adoption of new technologies through stimulation of R&D maytherefore be counterproductive.

Project Finance Meets E-Commerce

Project finance appears to lag in adoption of e-commerce techniques. Aside from e-mail, the telephone and in-person meeting still seem to be the primary mechanisms used for communication and deal-doing. E-commerce has evolved several new formats that portend an end to the dominance of these “old economy” communication methods. From vertical exchanges to secure web-based communication to virtual private placement activities, project finance activities are on the verge of entering the “new economy.” This article explores areas of project finance that will be early entrants in e-commerce and those that may take longer.

Economics of plant breeding: the value of shorter breeding cycles for rice in Northeast Thailand

Plant breeding is an investment with costs incurred during the phase of varietal development and benefits realized in future years when farmers grow the varieties. The longer the time required for developing the variety, the more distant in the future the realization of benefits will be. A longer breeding cycle thus entails an economic cost as farmers lose opportunities to grow better varieties earlier. The economic benefit from a reduction in the length of the breeding cycle for rice in Northeast Thailand is evaluated here using a cost-benefit analysis. The economic benefit from completing the current breeding cycle 2 years earlier was found to be of the order of $18 million dollars over the useful life of the variety. Sensitivity analyses indicated that the benefits are particularly sensitive to the discount rate, the number of years required for full adoption, the yield increase over current varieties and the maximum area under improved varieties. Economic trade-off between early completion of breeding and the required yield increase to maintain the economic benefits was assessed. The results highlight the potential value of institutional reforms that will make varieties available to farmers earlier by reducing the length of the breeding cycle and the time required for formal release of varieties. Implications for the design of extension strategies to reduce the adoption lag are also discussed.

The Determinants of the Adoption Lag for Advanced Manufacturing Technologies

This paper examines the determinants of the adoption lag for advanced technologies in the Canadian manufacturing sector. It uses plant-level data collected on the length of the adoption lag (the time between a firm's first becoming aware of a new technology and its adoption of the technology) to examine the extent to which the adoption lag is a function of the benefits and costs associated with technology adoption as well as certain plant characteristics that are proxies for a plant's receptor capabilities. Economic theory suggests that the diffusion of advanced technologies should be a function of the benefits associated with the adoption of new technologies. Other studies have had to proxy the benefits with environmental characteristics--like proximity to markets, fertility of soils, and size of firm. This paper makes use of more direct evidence collected from the 1993 Survey of Innovation and Advanced Technology concerning firms' own evaluations of the benefits and costs of adoption along with measures of overall technological competency. Both are found to be highly significant determinants of the adoption lag. Geographical nearness of suppliers decreases the adoption lag. Variables that have been previously used to proxy the benefits associated with technology adoption--variables such as larger firm size, younger age, and more diversification by the parent firm--also decrease the adoption lag, but they have much less effect than the direct measure of benefits and firm competency.

Applied participatory priority setting in international agricultural research: Making trade-offs transparent and explicit

Abstract This paper describes an ex-ante multi-objective framework (economic efficiency, equity, internationality and sustainability) for assessing research priorities at an international agricultural research center. With its supplyside methodological orientation it complements the Technical Advisory Committee/Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research demand-side analysis and thus represents a step forward in formulating research agendas. The distinct advantage of the framework described here is that at a time of intense competition for scarce funds, it makes explicit the benefits that would flow from additional investments to an institute as well as the opportunity costs corresponding to reductions. This kind of information is useful for the TAC and the CGIAR Secretariat in making decisions about allocating scarce research resources across CGIAR centers. The methodology used in setting research priorities for ICRISAT's (International Crops Research for the Semi-Arid Tropics) 1994–1998 Medium Term Plan provides clear criteria for establishing choices among competing research activities, is analytically rigorous, draws on scientists' empirical and intuitive knowledge base, and is transparent and interactive. Research themes identified are impact-oriented, projecting clear milestones against which progress can be measured and evaluated ex-post. Thus, assumptions about prospective yield increases, research lags, probabilities of success, and adoption lags and ceilings can be tested against actual delivery of a new research-induced technology. This forms an integral part of the research evaluation process and facilitates revising priorities in the light of such experiences.

The international impact of forestry research and a comparison with agricultural and fisheries research

Setting research priorities is a challenge faced by many organizations. A framework has been developed to support decision making on research priorities. The potential welfare effects of research on different commodities are quantified using a multiregion trade model. The approach offers a means to collapse, into systematic analysis, many of the criteria and (or) objectives and the myriad of variables that drive the research policy process and the realization of welfare gains from research. Specific model variables include product definition, production and consumption information, prices, supply and demand elasticities, potential spillover effects of research, assessments of the relative strength of different research systems, ceiling levels of research adoption, and assessments of research and adoption lags. An international analysis shows considerable diversity in the potential gains from forestry research between both products and regions. Also, comparisons between sectors shows that some forest products are likely to be ranked in the highest priority research groupings along with agricultural products for most regions of the world considered in this analysis.

Adoption, Firm Size And Risk Of Implementation

A model is developed of the relation between adoption of an innovation by firms and firm size. Decision making is represented as a group assessment of the perceived ratio between expected returns after succesful introduction, and the risk that implementation will fail or will last too long to makc adoption worth while. In view of differences in thc assessment of uncertainty and corresponding demands on the perceived return-to-risk ratio, among influencers of decisions in the firm, decision making is taken as stochastic, with a probability of adoption related to (objective) net benefits, and probability of non-adoption related to risk. The model gives a new way of looking at the fact that small firms lag behind in the adoption of new technology. In contrast with previous models proposed by David and Davies the explanation has nothing to do with there being some critical size below which adoption is not profitable. The present model explains the adoption lag for smaller firms as the result of expected retur...

The Acquisition of Information and the Adoption of New Technology

AbstractThis paper presents a dynamic model of diffusion of a new technology involving a variable input. The model highlights the role of active information accumulation, which entails costs. It generates several hypotheses regarding the likely pattern of adoption and use of the variable input over time by farmers of differing holding sizes and different access to information. It provides a possible explanation to the often observed lag in adoption of innovations by smaller farmers. Analysis of data from India on knowledge and adoption of several practices yields results which are generally consistent with the hypotheses suggested by the theoretical framework.

Interfacing Research and Extension in Information Delivery Systems: Discussion

The paper Interfacing and in Information Delivery Systems presented some relevant issues and concerns. The authors did their homework and selected four main issues even though some are controversial. I am sure many research and extension faculty will disagree with one or more of the issues presented. The Chapman, Infanger, Robbins, and Debertin survey was fairly comprehensive and proved quite informative. I recommend those interested in computerized information systems read the report as well as several other papers included in the Kentucky seminar proceedings referenced by the authors. Computerized information systems are not quite as new as the authors imply. The topic was discussed at a Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University seminar in 1971 (Walker) on work that had been underway for several years. The recent increase in interest is probably related to budgetary constraints in answering increasing numbers of inquiries for numerous clientele groups. The appropriate level of technology still is being debated vigorously. Based on my experiences with CMN, CRIS, EMIS, and other computer systems, the noninteractive batchoriented systems have a place. However, I think the future is with remote accessed interactive systems requiring no knowledge of computers and bypassing the need for a peoplemaintained interface. The more successful systems will be designed for direct userterminal access with minimum interference by others. Our jobs will be in the area of education on how to use the information to make better decisions. As mentioned, such systems must be well designed and easy to use. Another alternative is to initiate the search interactively, search in batch mode, print the report on the high speed printer, and mail the information to the inquirer. Designing a good user-oriented interactive system requires more effort than designing a batch system. The paper points out the pitfalls that must be avoided and the extra programming required to idiot proof' the system. It can be quite frustrating to develop a good system, especially if you have experience in batch applications only. The adoption lag still exists in spite of our genius, so education in the use of the system is still needed. I question the statement that interactive systems require more total personnel than batch systems. Maybe the interactive concept just forces us to do the total job as it should be done while we can stop short with a batch system and still struggle along. Also, batch systems forced many high-salaried faculty to learn computer-programming and job-control languages, while interactive systems can transfer these tasks to computer programmers. The selection of data may be the most confusing issue raised in the paper. In fact, the difference between data and information causes confusion. Webster defines information as informing or being informed. This implies knowledge and the ideas inferred by the knowledge. Data is defined as facts or figures from which conclusions can be inferred. Thus, data may be information to some but merely confusing gibberish to others. Data becomes information when it is converted into a form useful to the client. Consequently, our clientele should have a voice in formats used for delivering information because if they cannot understand the reports they are data but not information. I dislike the Research versus Extension implication. Both groups are public employees and should be striving for the same goals, i.e., contributions to social advancements. I like the figure 5 concept but would overlap extension and research even more than shown. Harold W. Walker is an associate professor in the Department of Agricultural Economics, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University.

EVALUATING RETURNS TO RESEARCH IN PASTURE IMPROVEMENT*

The objectives of the study reported here were (a) to attempt to identify pasture research findings which have been important for the development of improved pastures in a number of agricultural regions, and (b) to estimate the internal rates of return on the investment in pasture research in these regions. The technique used was the estimation of input‐demand functions for the stock of improved pastures. It is shown that the important research results were mainly the result of research in plant nutrition. Adoption lags were estimated, and these were short by comparison with those usually derived by other methods. Internal rates of return calculated for successful research findings were very high, hut there were important differences between regions.