Beyond early and late adopters: Reimagining health technology readiness through health-related circumstances

Digital healthcare services are becoming increasingly integral to daily life, yet the diversity of service users and their individual circumstances are often overshadowed by the assumption of a deterministic progression in technology adoption over time. This study examines whether individual health-related circumstances underlie the variance in health technology adoption among people with chronic conditions, challenging the more common view that technology-related factors are the main drivers of these differences. The study used survey data (N = 287) collected from people with multiple sclerosis or epilepsy in Finland. In the first phase, the technology adoption outcome measured in the multidimensional readiness and enablement index for health technology was categorized into early, majority, and late adopters through cluster analysis. In the second phase, the variance in health-related circumstances was analyzed depending on the level of health technology adoption. Later adoption was linked to co-occuring disadvantages, where health-related anxiety and limited support were associated with decreased engagement. Extending the temporal perspective on early and late technology adoption, our findings suggest circumstantial patterns influenced by health-related anxiousness, coping strategies, and access to informal and formal social support. These insights highlight the need to rethink how digital healthcare services are introduced, ensuring they accommodate diverse readiness levels rather than assuming a universal adoption path. Socially sustainable healthcare design must integrate strategies that anticipate individual needs, allowing people to navigate technology at their own pace, and reshaping the future of patient-centered, healthy digital society.