Sociology contribution to understanding the (no)diffusion of a medical innovation.

We will present results of an undergoing study on the socioeconomic processes of recognition in oncology of a long-standing medical innovation, the so-called interventional radiology (IR). This project is conducted by a multidisciplinary team gathering health sociologist, sociologist of science, economist of innovation, health lawyer and interventional radiologist, supported by INCa. With scientometrics and patent landscaping, we get an understanding of the IR discoveries’ chronology and identify the relationships established between science, medicine and industry. Through field observations and semi-directed interviews, we analyzed the strategies of legitimation of IR, seeking to show how each social groups (physicians, hospital, public agency, industry, …) participate together or not in IR recognition and therefore built the normative framework for this innovative medical practice.