Under ordinary conditions, the diffusion process for an innovation, even one with
considerable relative advantage, requires a lengthy time period. Understanding the diffusion
process (on the basis of the some 6200 diffusion studies completed to date) can help suggest
strategies, such as those above, to speed up the diffusion process. Unfortunately, preventive
innovations (like most new ideas in the addiction field) generally diffuse relatively slowly,
even when promising diffusion strategies are utilized.Diffusion is the process through which (1) an innovation (2) is communicated through
certain channels (3) over time (4) among the members of a social system (Rogers, 1995).
Diffusion is a special type of communication concerned with the spread of messages that are
perceived as dealing with new ideas, and necessarily represent a certain degree of uncertainty
to an individual or organization. The four main elements in the diffusion of new ideas are (1)
innovation, (2) communication channels, (3) time, and (4) the social system