Adopting immunization recommendations: a new dissemination model.
OBJECTIVE
This paper presents a new approach for understanding factors related to physician adoption of clinical guidelines, using children's vaccine recommendations as a case study.


METHODS
The model traces sequential steps, from awareness to agreement to adoption and, finally, adherence to the guideline. Movement through these stages can be catalyzed or retarded by many influences, grouped into two major categories: environmental characteristics of the physician's practice, and information characteristics of the guideline. Environmental characteristics include sociocultural factors, professional characteristics, and practice organization factors. Information characteristics include the guideline's relative advantage, complexity, and compatibility with existing guidelines and protocols, as well as mechanisms of guideline dissemination.


CONCLUSIONS
This model can be used to identify characteristics that will likely impede or facilitate guideline adoption, and to focus dissemination efforts on key issues.
Freed
G L
GL
Division of General Pediatrics, University of Michigan Health Care System, Ann Arbor 48109-0718, USA. gfreed@umich.edu
Pathman
D E
DE
Konrad
T R
TR
Freeman
V A
VA
Clark
S J
SJ
D002648:Child; D003657:Decision Making; D004059:Diffusion of Innovation; D019983:Guideline Adherence; D006801:Humans; D007114:Immunization; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D011216:Practice Management, Medical; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians'; D014481:United States