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The
purpose of this research project is to analyze the marketing
efforts of the Military Health Service System’s (MHSS) TRICARE program
and compare them to the Diffusion of Innovation theory (Rogers, 1983) to
test whether or not the campaign has been successful in getting the beneficiaries
to adopt the innovation of TRICARE.
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Direct questions about this site to the Group
2 webmaster.
The
research is important to military public affairs offices everywhere since
they are continually challenged with disseminating new information on TRICARE
and its benefits. The authors selected a specific TRICARE brochure to analyze
if it follows the characteristics of innovations which leads to successful
adoption of the product. The Diffusion of Innovation theory fits the purpose
of this study since Coleman, Katz, and Menzel (1966) found that individuals
try to avoid changes in medical treatment and care. TRICARE has seen a
slow rate of diffusion among its beneficiaries. The study discusses the
five characteristics of innovations, which include relative advantage,
compatibility, complexity, triability, and observability. These are used
to analyze the 
