Development and diffusion of automated clinical chemistry analyzers

The development and diffusion of automated clinical chemistry analyzers are described as an example of the process of technological change in medicine. This involves an elaboration and refinement of the conceptual framework, a historical description of development and use of three classes of analyzer, an investigation of user innovation, and the use of survey data to study patterns of diffusion. The emerging theory of development and diffusion differs from traditional theory in significant respects, assigning a more prominent and active role to the user in development, and characterizing development and diffusion as incremental and iterative rather than discrete and sequential.