Applying an Institutional Perspective to the Adoption of Health Information Technology in Dental Clinics in Tennessee

Abstract

Over the past several years, increasing the adoption of interoperable EHRs has been one of central goals of the US healthcare system. This study is the first known state-wide assessment of adoption rates of EDRs and certified EHRs in dental clinics in Tennessee. Institutional theory is used in this work as a conceptual framework to examine factors associated with the adoption of EDRs and EHRs. Also included is a historical analysis of factors that contributed to the medical-dental divide and subsequent formation of the organization and institutional forms of dentistry. Through a survey methodological approach, it was found that institutional factors, in the manner that they were operationalized, do not have a major impact on the adoption of information technology in dentistry.