Title: Forms of technology and effectiveness of infertility clinics

Authors: Ran Lachman

Addresses: School of Business Administration, College of Management, Tel-Aviv, Israel

Abstract: The form of technology adopted by a clinic (long-linked vs. intensive technology) was examined here as a contingency factor in assessing the effectiveness of two infertility clinics. Each clinic used a different medical technique for treatment, reflecting a different form of technology. The relationships of technology forms with clinic effectiveness were explored using a case-study approach. It appeared that the intensive form of technology had different implications for clinic effectiveness than did the long-linked form. The analyses suggested that underlying the different technology forms, and probably the key factor relating to clinics effectiveness, was the differential patients involvement (low in the long-linked, and high in the intensive) in the very production of the clinics services. The findings suggest that the structural dimension of technology may serve as an important contingency of clinic effectiveness. The consequences this contingency may have for the relationships between technology and effectiveness of clinics are discussed.

Keywords: health care delivery; organisational technology; patients| involvement.

DOI: 10.1504/IJTM.1998.002615

International Journal of Technology Management, 1998 Vol.15 No.3/4/5, pp.470-489

Published online: 29 Jul 2003 *

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