Sponsor
Portland State University. Department of Engineering and Technology Management
First Advisor
Tugrul Daim
Term of Graduation
Spring 2026
Date of Publication
5-20-2026
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Technology Management
Department
Engineering and Technology Management
Language
English
Subjects
Adoption, readiness, Telemedicine
Physical Description
1 online resource (xiv, 229 pages)
Abstract
Telemedicine has become a strategically significant healthcare technology, particularly following the accelerated adoption of virtual care during the COVID-19 pandemic. While telemedicine offers substantial potential to improve access, efficiency, and system resilience, healthcare organizations continue to face challenges in determining their readiness to adopt and sustain telemedicine solutions. These challenges stem from complex interactions among technological capabilities, organizational structures, social factors, and policy environments. From a technology management perspective, a systematic and evidence-based approach is needed to support managerial decision-making related to telemedicine adoption.
This dissertation develops a comprehensive Hierarchical Decision Model (HDM) to evaluate healthcare organizations' readiness for telemedicine adoption, with a focus on virtual care delivery. Drawing on an extensive review of the literature, the study identifies critical adoption factors and organizes them into four interrelated perspectives: social, technological, organizational, and policy. The proposed model is validated and quantified using expert judgment through multi-criteria decision analysis techniques, ensuring both methodological rigor and practical relevance. Desirability curves are incorporated to convert qualitative assessments into measurable readiness scores that support comparative evaluation and strategic planning.
The validated HDM is applied through multiple case studies to assess organizational readiness, identify key strengths and weaknesses, and prioritize improvement initiatives. Sensitivity and scenario analyses are conducted to examine the robustness of the model under varying strategic conditions. The results demonstrate how the model can be used as a managerial decision-support tool to guide technological investment, organizational change, and policy alignment.
This research contributes to the technology management literature by providing a structured framework for assessing readiness for complex healthcare technologies. Practically, it offers healthcare executives, policymakers, and technology managers a systematic approach to evaluate telemedicine adoption readiness and to support informed, strategic, and sustainable technology management decisions.
Rights
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Persistent Identifier
https://archives.pdx.edu/ds/psu/44827
Recommended Citation
Alshmrani, Salman Mohamad, "A Hierarchical Decision Model to Evaluate Healthcare Organizations' Readiness for Telemedicine Adoption: Case of Virtual Care Delivery" (2026). Dissertations and Theses. Paper 7089.