Resistance to technological innovation: the case of teleconsultation before and during COVID-19

Purpose This study analyzes resistance to technological innovation in the healthcare field, focusing on the formal, long-term adoption of teleconsultation in medical practice, which became established during the COVID-19 pandemic. Different institutional studies on resistance to change were analyzed to evaluate their capacity to explain the phenomenon. Design/methodology/approach Qualitative interpretive research was conducted involving documentary research and interviews with professionals from public and private domains, including health regulation organizations and individual practitioners, to capture their understandings of the issue. Findings The results showed that the primary hindering factors were the need for physical examination, the risk of deteriorating remuneration conditions for doctors, and insufficient undergraduate training in telemedicine. Research limitations/implications Thus, the study infers that institutional logics of the same order can coexist, accommodating contradictions between them. Medical autonomy, a principle of democratic logic upheld by part of the professional community and the imperative of public health emergencies, characteristic of professional logic, provoked a rapid response, constituting the driving pressures for the adoption of teleconsultation. Originality/value Technological innovation tends to face resistance during implementation, but under favorable conditions, it becomes consolidated alongside the previous practice. Traditional professional logic resisted the introduction of the new logic represented by teleconsultation until confronted by the pandemic, when it was compelled to adapt to the circumstances.