The PMA Scale: A Measure of Physicians' Motivation to Adopt Medical Devices

Abstract

Background: Studies have often stated that individual-level determinants are important drivers for the adoption of medical devices. Empirical evidence supporting this claim is, however, scarce. At the individual level, physicians' adoption motivation was often considered important in the context of adoption decisions, but a clear notion of its dimensions and corresponding measurement scales is not available.

Objectives: To develop and subsequently validate a scale to measure the motivation to adopt medical devices of hospital-based physicians.

Methods: The development and validation of the physician-motivation-adoption (PMA) scale were based on a literature search, internal expert meetings, a pilot study with physicians, and a three-stage online survey. The data collected in the online survey were analyzed using exploratory factor analysis (EFA), and the PMA scale was revised according to the results. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was conducted to test the results from the EFA in the third stage. Reliability and validity tests and subgroup analyses were also conducted.

Results: Overall, 457 questionnaires were completed by medical personnel of the National Health Service England. The EFA favored a six-factor solution to appropriately describe physicians' motivation. The CFA confirmed the results from the EFA. Our tests indicated good reliability and validity of the PMA scale.

Conclusions: This is the first reliable and valid scale to measure physicians' adoption motivation. Future adoption studies assessing the individual level should include the PMA scale to obtain more information about the role of physicians' motivation in the broader adoption context.

Keywords: adoption of medical devices; health technology adoption; motivation; scale.