What It Means to Be an Early Technology Adopter in Radiology

Adopting new technology in radiology is rarely straightforward. In this webinar clip, Melissa A. Davis, MD, MBA, Vice Chair of Medical Informatics at Yale University, shares how her team approaches early adoption — and what comes with it.

As she explains, one of the main reasons to be an early adopter is the ability to influence how a tool is developed. By engaging early, her team is able to provide direct feedback and help shape the product as it evolves. That includes sharing how the tool fits into real workflows and what changes may be needed over time.

At the same time, early adoption comes with challenges. 

First, it’s a change management process. Within any radiology group, reactions to new technology tend to vary. Some individuals are quick to adopt, others are resistant and many fall somewhere in between. As Dr. Davis notes, it’s not a uniform experience. Adoption happens gradually, and different users engage with new tools in different ways.

Even with those challenges, the opportunity to be involved early remains a key motivator. In her experience, the ability to provide input — and to see that input reflected in the product — is a meaningful part of the process.

As an academic institution, Yale University is able to expose residents to new technologies as they’re being introduced. That creates an opportunity for them to engage with tools early and understand how they may be used in practice.

This clip is part of a broader discussion on how radiology organizations are evaluating and adopting new technologies, including AI and workflow tools. To hear more, you can access the full on-demand webinar.